Employers are being urged to sign up to a workplace pledge to demonstrate their support for employees with migraine.
The pledge has been launched by the charity The Migraine Trust to highlight the condition and how workplaces can help.
It has published research suggesting almost half (43%) of people with the condition reported their workplace did not believe them when they had to take sick leave because of an attack. A third (33%) have even had to leave their job altogether.
It has also pointed to statistics and a toolkit from NHS England arguing that three million workdays are lost every year because of migraine-related absenteeism, at a cost of almost £4.4bn.
The charity’s survey of 1,002 people found that 34% of those living with the condition have felt discriminated against at work.
Much the same proportion (30%) have felt harassed or victimised because of their condition. Forty-five per cent have felt their managers did not take them seriously.
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Almost a quarter (22%) said they had faced disciplinary action or changed careers, while 29% have had to move from full-time to part-time work.
More than half (56%) said their workplace had not made reasonable adjustments to help them manage attacks at work.
The pledge has been launched at the same time as the first debate took place in the UK Parliament on the condition for 65 years. Dehenna Davison MP, who lives with chronic migraine, led the debate and said: “Societal stigma towards migraine is still prevalent, waiting times for seeing specialists are far too long, and treatments are scarce or difficult to secure.”
By signing the pledge, employers will demonstrate to current and prospective staff that they are committed to supporting their needs, The Migraine Trust has said.
They will be able to use a special pledge logo and will receive a quarterly email containing resources and ideas to increase awareness of the condition, as well as details of upcoming events and ways to get involved.
Employers that sign up will also receive a digital awareness pack with factsheets on migraine, including the charity’s Migraine in the Workplace toolkit.
Robert Music, chief executive of The Migraine Trust, said: “Migraine as a condition has wide-reaching and significant impacts on all areas of life, ranging from family life to employment. This can result in missed career development opportunities, negative workplace experiences and, for some, even leaving employment altogether.
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“We know that often simple, low-cost adjustments made by employers can make a huge difference in creating an environment where staff with migraine can thrive. That’s why we are launching The Migraine Trust’s Workplace Pledge, and calling on employers to demonstrate their commitment to improving their workplaces for the one in seven people in the UK living with migraine.”
