Working through the Pain: the Chronic Pain Experience of Full-Time Employees

Chronic pain is broadly defined as pain persisting for more than three months. Although chronic pain is a commonly studied topic in many fields, very little is known about the work experiences of employees experiencing chronic pain beyond return-to-work studies. This current study explored how full-time employees with severe chronic pain (N = 13) experienced work. Content analysis of the interview responses resulted in eight themes. These are: (1) the individualistic nature of pain experience, (2) disruption of work tasks, (3) communicating pain, (4) pain management, (5) work management, (6) managerial support, (7) collegial support, and (8) organizational policies and resources. These findings can provide a foundation for future theoretical and quantitative studies on chronic pain and work. Practical implications of this study involve policy changes and organizational interventions to improve working conditions for employees with chronic pain.