Migraines affect the vast majority of women—86 percent, according to InHerSight data.
In their poll responses, women shared just how challenging it can be to manage chronic pain at work and the lengths they go to cope. They’ve turned off fluorescent lights, hung blackout curtains in their offices, and even partnered with HR to secure intermittent FMLA leave.
Chronic pain is taxing—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and it shows up differently for everyone. “The severity, how physical the job is, how much the pain restricts essential duties, and whether medical leave is involved all create a lot of nuance. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” says career strategist Brianne Latthitham, co-founder of Chronically Iconic Club, an online community for people living with chronic illness and chronic pain.
What is universal is this: Support from managers and peers can make a tremendous difference in an employee’s wellbeing and ability to thrive. Learn how to respond when someone shares they’re living with chronic pain, and how leaders can build workplaces that support them.
Read more: What Powering Through Migraines at Work Taught Me About Pain & Permission
How the workplace can aggravate chronic pain
Chronic pain can happen anywhere, but not every environment is equipped with the comfort and resources needed to manage chronic pain. The workplace is one of those environments.
People who experience migraines, endometriosis, back pain, autoimmune disorders, or other long-term conditions often have to navigate environments that simply aren’t designed for fluctuating pain levels.
Common workplace triggers and barriers include:
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Rigid schedules: Many workplaces still equate productivity with being physically present from 9 to 5, making it difficult for employees to manage flare-ups, take breaks, or adjust their hours without fear of judgment.
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Harsh lighting and sensory triggers: Fluorescent bulbs, bright screens, loud open offices, strong scents, and constant background noise can intensify symptoms like migraines, fatigue, or nerve pain.
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Expectations around responsiveness: Pressure to answer quickly on Slack, stay “visible,” or join every meeting can heighten stress and exacerbate pain, especially on days when symptoms are unpredictable.
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Lack of flexibility in work setup: Standard desks, chairs, and equipment aren’t always pain-friendly. And in open floor plans, employees often lack a quiet space to rest, dim the lights, or decompress.
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Emotional load levels: Managing pain while trying to appear unfazed takes energy. Many women feel the added pressure of masking discomfort to avoid being perceived as less capable or committed.
Together, these barriers create an environment where people are constantly working against the grain, expending extra effort just to get through the day. And while the workplace can worsen chronic pain, it can also play a meaningful role in easing it—starting with how managers and peers choose to respond when someone opens up about what they’re experiencing.
Managers and peers can support coworkers dealing with chronic pain
Because many chronic conditions are invisible, women often feel pressure to “prove” they’re in pain. That stigma can make employees hesitant to disclose their needs or ask for accommodations. When someone does choose to share what they’re experiencing, how you respond matters deeply.
Latthitham notes that disclosure can happen for several reasons. “Two of the most common,” she explains, “are one, to request accommodations and two, to provide context for a change in behavior or performance, such as needing to be off camera or attend a doctor appointment.” Understanding the why behind the conversation helps you respond with the right level of care and clarity.
Here are the four core principles to keep in mind when someone shares a chronic condition:
1. Be human. Instead of worrying about the perfect response, focus on compassion. Latthitham says, “Many people freeze because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing, but a simple, ‘I am really sorry you are going through this,’ goes a long way. Acknowledge their experience without minimizing it.”
2. Lead with curiosity and consent. After someone shares, make space for them to control the conversation. Latthitham suggests language such as: “Thank you for sharing this with me, you do not have to share anything more than you feel comfortable sharing.” From there, she recommends one open-ended question that keeps the employee empowered: “How can I support you?” Only then should you gently explore details like accommodations or workplace adjustments.
3. Do not outsource empathy to HR. While HR may handle the formal process, managers play a crucial role in making the experience feel supportive rather than bureaucratic. “I give a gold star to managers who understand disability and accommodations policies enough to walk an employee through the process,” Latthitham says. “It signals that you are truly in their corner. I hope we can eventually live in a world where this is a baseline expectation of good leadership.”
4. Share resources. “Occupational therapy was enormously helpful for me early in my personal chronic illness diagnosis as well as some other wellbeing benefits for pain management and ergonomic support,” Latthitham says. “If your company’s benefits include services such as OT or PT, it can be supportive to mention them, not as a solution, but as an available resource.”
Here’s some example language to consider when responding to chronic pain:
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“Thank you for trusting me with this. I want to make sure you have what you need—what support or flexibility would be most helpful right now?”
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“I appreciate you sharing this with me. Your experience may fluctuate day to day, so please let me know if there are times when we should adjust expectations or deadlines.”
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“If you ever need to modify your schedule, take breaks, or work in a different way to manage symptoms, I’m open to that, just keep me in the loop about what works best for you.”
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“You’re not alone in this, and I’m committed to supporting you. Let’s figure out what adjustments would make your workday more manageable.”
What not to say or assume about chronic pain
Many unhelpful responses start from the misunderstanding that someone’s pain level is the same every day. Latthitham explains that this is rarely the case: “Depending on the condition, there are typically baseline days—which are still bad days, but days where you can function—and days where the pain is debilitating. There are also different triggers that can make symptoms worse. Predictability is rarely part of chronic pain.”
With leaders, another misstep is making assumptions about what an employee can or cannot handle. The most harmful assumption is believing someone won’t want to take on opportunities like travel, client meetings, or networking events because of their condition. “Unless someone has explicitly requested accommodations that limit specific tasks, it’s important not to make that decision for them,” Latthitham says. “Allow them to voice their own boundaries or you risk harming career progression.”
Latthitham recommends steering clear of comments like “Have you tried X?” Chronic pain is complex and often involves years of trial and error, and these suggestions, even from a caring place, can feel minimizing or oversimplifying. Most people have already explored countless treatments. What they usually need is understanding, not unsolicited solutions.
Creating an accessible and supportive work environment
“Employers are cutting back on health benefits, going through multiple rounds of layoffs, and increasing their investments in AI and automation,” Latthitham says. “This climate creates a lot of warranted fear for employees, and the people who feel most at-risk of being negatively impacted are often those living with chronic health conditions including chronic pain.”
Building a truly supportive culture starts at the top. Leaders need real, high-quality education, not a “check the box” training, on chronic pain and invisible disabilities so they can show up with genuine compassion for their teams and create a culture where employees feel safe being honest about health conditions.
Leading with vulnerability can go a long way. Latthitham says one of the most powerful things a leader can do is model their own boundaries or disclosures when appropriate, with the intention of removing stigma or increasing feelings of belonging: “I still vividly remember a senior leader I worked for at a prior company who disclosed an invisible health condition to me after I disclosed mine to him, and the profound impact it had on helping me feel understood and less alone.”
Support should always reflect the realities of different work environments. Remote employees may spend long hours in video meetings, often in the same seated position. “Being required to stay on camera all day can significantly increase pain and fatigue,” Latthitham says. “A culture that normalizes camera flexibility instead of treating it as a baseline expectation immediately reduces pressure and helps even able-bodied people work more sustainably.”
Physical offices present their own challenges. Latthitham says the chairs you choose matter, and access to ergonomic equipment matters. As she notes, one major misconception is that pain is the only symptom of chronic pain conditions. In reality, pain is often just one symptom of an underlying condition or diagnosis.
“Chronic pain leads to other often invisible symptoms such as fatigue, because functioning through pain is exhausting,” says Latthitham. “In the early days of my diagnosis, I was in a 100% in-office work environment with bullpen-type seating, and I used to have to hide out in conference rooms or in the women’s nursing room and lie on the floor in between calls to give my body a break because there wasn’t a designated space for me.”
Thoughtful workspace design can include:
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Access to quiet or private areas
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Meditation or nap rooms
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Temperature control
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Ergonomic equipment
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Flexibility to work from home when needed
“These small considerations in the physical workspace make a huge impact on people living with chronic pain,” Latthitham says. Workplace investments like these help employees do their best work, reduce turnover, and support long-term retention of top talent.
