Chronic pain is one of the most prominent causes of disability worldwide. It affects around 28 million people in the UK alone with an expected incidence growth of 32% by 2040. Employers play a key role in supporting people with chronic pain to remain in and thrive at work, but managers’ awareness of chronic pain and mechanisms for providing support can be low.

To inform the development of line manager training relating to chronic pain at work, we engaged with industry to gather the perspectives of employers and organisational representatives towards:
(a) their awareness of chronic pain and its impacts in the workplace,
(b) workplace support for people with chronic pain, including policies and practices, and
(c) barriers to implementing supportive measures.

In this mixed-methods study, we conducted an online survey (n=35) and semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=10) with UK company owners and organisational representatives from organisations of different types, sizes and sectors. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes.

Overall, findings suggested that organisations are reactive rather than proactive in their approach to supporting people with chronic conditions at work. Employers recognise the impact of chronic pain on sickness absence and work productivity, but their understanding of how to support people to remain in, and thrive at work, is limited. There are diverse policies and practices offered by organisations, but these are inconsistent within and between organisations and are not specific to chronic pain. Large organisations offer more support, including flexible work hours, ergonomic equipment, and healthcare services, whereas smaller organisations struggle to provide similar accommodations due to financial constraints. Barriers to implementing support include stigma and a lack of understanding about chronic pain, its impact on work and employer responsibilities relating to employees with health conditions. These insights will inform the development of line manager training to help address these barriers and increase equity in workplace support for people with chronic pain.

Keywords: Workforce, Industry, Training.