Headaches: A Pain for Productivity

Headaches come in many forms and are caused by a variety of factors.

There is, however, one thing they have in common: They’re painful.

From a nagging tension headache that compromises your ability to concentrate to a no-holds-barred migraine that keeps you bedridden for the day, all headaches are, well, a headache.

In the workplace, the affliction affects more than just your employees’ physical comfort. It robs them (and therefore you) of productivity and keeps them from giving their best performance.

According to the World Health Organization, tension headaches affect two-thirds of men and 80% of women. As for chronic headaches, WHO reports, one in 20 adults per every 1 million have a headache every day or almost every day.

Headaches are a common cause of missed workdays. And sufferers who do manage to “tough it out” probably aren’t able to focus fully on their job.

And though it’s common to dismiss headache as an inadequate excuse for absenteeism, these statistics from a survey by the National Headache Foundation may change your tune:

There are different treatments for different types of headache, and so the first step should be visiting a health care provider to determine the cause. Once triggers have been identified, it’s easier to avoid them and therefore cut back on the frequency and severity of headaches.

If you have employees who suffer from chronic or severe headaches, help them by pointing them in the right direction for help.

They will feel better, and you will have the assurance that they’re taking steps to maintain their value at work.