Impact of fatigue on work productivity and health-related job loss

Fatigue is commonly reported in population surveys and has been identified in patients with health conditions as a key co-morbidity which makes remaining in work challenging. Such patients, however, rarely have access to programmes to help them manage their fatigue.

To quantify the relationship between fatigue, work impairment and health-related job loss.

We use data from the Health and Employment After Fifty study, a longitudinal study of people aged 50-64 years when recruited through general practices in England in 2013-14. During follow-up, fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Assessment Scale, work impairment was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scale, and changes in employment status were recorded.

A total of 2743 participants were eligible for the current analysis; 23% satisfied criteria for being fatigued. People who were fatigued were less likely to have a partner, university degree, be physically active and were more likely to be obese. Their job was more likely to involve shifts, be perceived as insecure, have reported difficulties coping with job demands, and be unsatisfying. After adjustment for socio-economic, lifestyle and work-related factors, they were almost twice as likely to report both work impairment (relative risk 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 2.1) and future health-related job loss, although the latter effect was only in those with other morbidities (incidence rate ratio 1.96; 95% CI 1.03-3.72).

Providing evidence-based support for workers with health conditions who experience fatigue may have an important impact at a population level in terms of extending working lives.