The Best Types of Work for People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

For years, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were more likely than those without the condition to change jobs, lose jobs, retire early, reduce work hours, or struggle to find a job in the first place, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also reports that at least 1 in 4 people with arthritis have work limitations.

Thankfully, this situation has the potential to change, as new RA medications and disease management tools have been introduced. A study published in 2020 found that people with moderate to severe RA who took a biologic drug were significantly more productive at work than people with RA who didn’t take a biologic.

How Reasonable Accommodations Can Help

The Americans With Disabilities Act requires employers with more than 15 employees to offer reasonable accommodations. When it comes to your job, take the time and care to identify which accommodations you’ll need, advises Karen Jacobs, EdD, an occupational therapist and clinical professor at Boston University. As a board-certified ergonomist, Dr. Jacobs examines the tools and equipment people need to do their jobs properly.

The Job Accommodation Network is also an invaluable resource for exploring your options, Jacobs says, because it can give you ideas about exactly what you can ask for to get your job done. For example, you may have light sensitivity, which could be dealt with by installing low-wattage or natural lighting sources. Or you may have sensitivity to temperature, which can be addressed by adding a desk heater or fan next to your desk or allowing dress code flexibility. If your job irritates your skin, you can ask for protective clothing.

Anyone can speak to a Job Accommodation Network counselor for free, describe job challenges, and get advice on what to ask for. “Your occupational therapist (OT) can help you with deciding what accommodations you need,” Jacobs says. The American Occupational Therapy Association also has OT-related resources.

An OT can set up an appointment to analyze your tasks and movements over the course of the workday and determine which activities may be making your RA better or worse — and what to do about them. “This assessment can be a very powerful tool for a person experiencing pain on the job,” Jacobs says.

“Once you get to the point where you can say, ‘This is what I need at work,’ be forthright in asking your employer for help,” Jacobs says.

Top RA-Friendly Jobs

“I think a person with RA could have just about any job, within reason, if the right accommodations are made,” says Jacobs. That said, some types of work are easier than others for people with RA. If you’re thinking about a job shift, either within or outside your current company, consider these RA-friendly work situations.

Office-Based Work

Jobs that primarily take place at a desk can be modified for people with RA, says Anne Hickley, a blogger who also runs a small online business in the United Kingdom. When Hickley was diagnosed with RA at age 39, she says she already had things like a wrist rest for typing and another for using the mouse. She sometimes uses elasticized hand gloves that leave her fingers free to type.

What’s more, computer monitors, keyboards, and your desk space can be adjusted in height and paired with ergonomic furniture, Jacobs says.

Freelancing or Consulting

Dallas-based corporate communications expert Carla Kienast returned to consulting after her last employer eliminated her position, but she says contracting is a good match for her RA. She was diagnosed in 2008 and says it’s been difficult to control.

“As a consultant, I’m better able to manage my hours,” she says. “And while I have a ‘real’ office, I can also work from home to be more comfortable if I wish.” With so much work experience behind her, she was able to build on her expertise and contacts.

Freelancing does have some drawbacks, including needing to arrange for health insurance, which might be difficult, Kienast says. Some people can be added to a spouse or family policy or take advantage of the plans in the insurance marketplace, she adds.

Running Your Own Business

Hickley says that running her own business has worked well when it comes to managing her RA, although she wasn’t diagnosed until after she established her business. She hasn’t expanded as aggressively as she might have otherwise, she says, but as a small-business owner, she has control over the projects she takes on.

Hickley has also been able to control the pace of her work and can subcontract if she needs additional staff. Her sole employee has been with her for years, an investment she says has paid off in many ways.

Jacobs recommends doing a careful analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats before going freelance or starting your own business.

Professional Occupations

Highly trained professionals, such as physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and lawyers, can usually find ways to continue practicing despite slowdowns or physical limitations from RA. For example, a veterinarian can recruit and train a veterinary assistant capable of lifting heavy animals to perform certain procedures and carrying out tasks under their direction.

Or an office professional who might otherwise have to type a lot can use aids such as dictation software, which translates spoken words into text, Jacobs says. Smartphones are now loaded with voice recording options to more easily respond to email and texts as well.

Staying on the Job With RA

If you love your work, before you ditch your job for something new, it pays to think of creative accommodations — flexible scheduling, work sharing, ergonomic office design — to stay productive in your current role.

Turn to your human resources department if you’ve discussed the situation with your supervisor but it wasn’t productive, Jacobs advises. “You want to avoid being confrontational, though. You just want to negotiate your work situation — and your rights.”

Additional reporting by Brian Dunleavy