Study Finds UC and CD Have High Cost to Employers

A study in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine has come to a potentially devastating conclusion for people with IBD. The authors found that the cost to employers from workers with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease was three times higher than controls. (Controls being workers without IBD.) Absenteeism costs were not found to be higher than controls, but surgery for IBD was found to be very expensive.

The results of this study have far-reaching implications. Does this mean that if your employer discovers (or already knows) you have IBD, that your job might be on the chopping block? There's no doubt that chronic illness carries costs -- drugs, docs, and hospital stays cost money. But employers need to think beyond that bottom line. In my experience, people with IBD tend to be creative, resilient, and hard-working. They come to work when they're sick. They work harder when they're well. They do this because they know having an illness in the workplace can work against them.

Do you have recourse if you are let go because of your illness? Yes, you most certainly do. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was recently amended to include more specific language for people with digestive disorders. You can read more about the ADA at the Job Accommodation Network.

Source:
Gibson, Teresa B. PhD; Ng, Eliza MD; Ozminkowski, Ronald J. PhD; Wang, Shaohung PhD; Burton, Wayne N. MD; Goetzel, Ron Z. PhD; Maclean, Ross MD, MBA. "The Direct and Indirect Cost Burden of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis." Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine Nov 2008. 11 Nov 2008.