Giving migraine its place at work

by **Tee** Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:08 am

RONAN McGREEVY

An upcoming conference aims to highlight the difference between migraines and headaches, particularly in the workplace

THERE ARE few reasons for taking sick leave that arouse more suspicion than migraine which is synonymous in most people’s minds with having a headache.

A UK survey three years ago of more than 2,100 respondents confirmed what has always been suspected – that faking a migraine is the most common excuse for workers taking a “sickie” when they are well enough to work.

Migraine is easy to fake because they are ostensibly no external symptoms.

Such excuses make it hard for the people who genuinely have migraine to be believed.

The same survey, which was carried out by YouGov, found 28 per cent of those who genuinely had migraine worried that they would not be believed and 21 per cent felt colleagues would judge them as having made an excuse to take a day off.

Recognising the difference between genuine sufferers and those who are faking it will be the subject of the first national conference of migraine at work which will be hosted by the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI) next week.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2012/0410/1224314561026.html