Abstract/Summary

Background & Aims Much is known about the impact of pain in terms of medical costs and missed work. Less is known about its associations when individuals are present for work. This study examines “presenteeism” by analysing the psychosocial costs of pain in the workplace, using the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Methods We conducted cross-sectional analysis of 2,384 individuals with chronic pain, and 2,263 individuals without pain (matched by age and sex), using data from the European Working Condition Survey (2015). We compared groups in terms of the following psychosocial factors: Supervisor Support, Job Responsibility, Team Cohesion, Discrimination, Threats/Abuse, Job Competency, Job Reward, Sexual Harassment, Stress, and Job Security. The groups were also compared in terms of days lost due to illness. Results People with pain were 64% less likely to view their job as rewarding (OR .61, 95% CI .57-.65), 47% more likely to be subjected to threats/abuse in the workplace (OR .68, 95% CI .63-.73), 30% more likely to report poor supervisor support (OR .77, 95% CI .73-.82), and 28% more likely to perceive discrimination in the workplace (OR .78, 95% CI .71-.85). People with pain missed approximately 9 more days of work per year than the non-pain respondents.