Managing headaches in the workplace

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Headache disorders represent a significant cause of work absenteeism, resulting in millions of lost workdays each year.
• While not a major drain on National Health Service resources, the impact on employee productivity is substantial.
• Occupational health nurses play a crucial role in managing workplace health issues, including headache disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of headache on work attendance from an occupational health perspective.
• To provide occupational health nurses with a practical assessment protocol for employees with headaches.
• To improve the management of headache disorders in the workplace.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on headache impact and occupational health.
• Analysis of investigations from practice-attached migraine clinics.
• Development of a structured assessment protocol for occupational health nurses.

Main Results:

• Headache-related problems lead to substantial work absenteeism, estimated at seven million lost working days annually.
• A gap exists in standardized assessment protocols for occupational health nurses managing employees with headaches.
• The proposed protocol aims to standardize and improve the assessment process.

Conclusions:

• Headache disorders significantly impact workforce productivity and necessitate effective management strategies.
• Occupational health nurses require practical tools to accurately assess and support affected employees.
• Implementing the proposed protocol can enhance the occupational health response to headache disorders.