A workplace can look inclusive and still be difficult to navigate with painful joints. A long walk from the car park, an early meeting after a stiff morning or hours at a keyboard can turn an ordinary day into an exhausting one. For the estimated one in five UAE residents living with arthritis, inclusion is determined by these everyday details.
As businesses prioritise employee wellbeing and environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, arthritis deserves attention. The social dimension of ESG asks whether people with persistent, often invisible conditions have a fair opportunity to progress.
An invisible condition in the most productive years
Arthritis covers more than 100 conditions and is not confined to older people. Rheumatoid arthritis usually strikes between the ages of 20 and 40, and women are nearly three times more likely to develop it. With symptoms rarely discernible to colleagues, employees can struggle to explain why they need support.
Pain is only part of the experience. Fatigue erodes concentration, while stiffness affects commuting, standing or typing. Symptoms fluctuate between debilitating flares and calmer periods of remission, so someone who copes one day may struggle the next. Working through discomfort also wears on the energy needed for family life and recovery.
The cost of silence at work
Arthritis is a leading cause of absence from work, and the World Health Organisation reports that within 10 years of onset, half of people with rheumatoid arthritis cannot hold down a full-time job. Employers may notice absence or slower work without understanding why, while employees may conceal symptoms for fear of seeming unreliable. A culture that rewards presenteeism, or pushing through illness, lets difficulties escalate until careers are stymied.
Early diagnosis protects careers
In rheumatoid arthritis, prompt treatment can control inflammation before it irreversibly damages the joints. Yet due to lack of awareness delays diagnosis by around by months and years, as many patients see a general practitioner before a rheumatologist. Persistent swelling, pain or morning stiffness warrants specialist assessment.
This gives employers a practical role in preventive healthcare. Clear benefits information, time for appointments and support for continuing treatment all help, as fewer than half of UAE patients still take prescribed medicines after a year. Awareness sessions encourage early advice-seeking without expecting managers to diagnose or employees to disclose medical details.
Practical adjustments that make a difference
Flexible work arrangements: Adjustments should begin with a confidential conversation. Flexible start times ease morning stiffness, often the first hurdle of the day, while remote work can spare a difficult commute during a flare.
Movement and breaks: Short breaks to stand or stretch every 30 minutes keep joints flexible, and holding meetings in the same area reduces unnecessary walking.
Ergonomics: Supportive seating, ergonomic keyboards, headsets, voice recognition software and accessible meeting rooms remove barriers, and occupational health advice can tailor them to each role. Most of these measures cost little, and equipment is usually a one-time investment.
Fair management: Managers should respond with nuanced understanding, not judgement. Support should protect access to training and promotion, so no one is marginalised because of health condition. Arrangements should be reviewed as symptoms and job demand change and embedded in policy with clear ownership.
Thriving with arthritis
Building a healthier workplace means recognising that people can contribute fully while living with chronic conditions. Employers who make timely care and practical support part of everyday management help employees stave off avoidable disability and sustain their careers, a tangible expression of workplace wellbeing and inclusion.
By Dr. Humeira Badsha – Consultant Rheumatologist and Founding Member at Middle East Arthritis Foundation (MEAF)