Employees with Chronic Pain 

Accommodation and Compliance Series
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Preface 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a service of the Office of Disability 

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Authored by Beth Loy, Ph.D. Updated 03/22/10. 
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JAN’S ACCOMMODATION AND COMPLIANCE SERIES

Introduction

JAN’s Accommodation and Compliance Series is designed to help employers determine 

effective accommodations and comply with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA). Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and 

provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and 

resources for additional information. 

The Accommodation and Compliance Series is a starting point in the accommodation 

process and may not address every situation. Accommodations should be made on a 

case by case basis, considering each employee’s individual limitations and 

accommodation needs. Employers are encouraged to contact JAN to discuss specific 

situations in more detail. 

For information on assistive technology and other accommodation ideas, visit JAN's 

Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar. 

Information about Chronic Pain 

How prevalent is chronic pain? 

Chronic pain has been said to be the most costly health problem in America. According 

to a recent USA TODAY/ABC News/Stanford University Medical Center poll, almost one 

in five Americans suffer from chronic pain (Sternberg, 2005). 

What is chronic pain? 

While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you 

to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. 

Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, 

months, even years (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n.d.). 

What are the symptoms of chronic pain?

Living with chronic pain can lead to loss of appetite, depression, and exhaustion. The 

pain associated with chronic pain usually overwhelms all other symptoms. 

What causes chronic pain? 

Chronic pain can be caused by headaches, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, 

neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central 

nervous system itself), psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any 

visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system) (National Institute of 

Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n.d.). 
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How is chronic pain treated? 

Medications, acupuncture, local electrical stimulation, and brain stimulation, as well as 

surgery, are some treatments for chronic pain (National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke, n.d.). Depression is often associated with chronic pain and may 

need to be treated as a separate, but related, condition. 

Chronic Pain and the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Is chronic pain a disability under the ADA? 

The ADA does not contain a list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. 

Instead, the ADA has a general definition of disability that each person must meet 

(EEOC, 1992). Therefore, some people with chronic pain will have a disability under the 

ADA and some will not. 

A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially 

limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as 

having such an impairment (EEOC, 1992). For more information about how to 

determine whether a person has a disability under the ADA, visit 

http://askjan.org/corner/vol02iss04.htm. 

 

 Accommodating Employees with Chronic Pain

(Note: People with chronic pain may develop some of the limitations discussed below, 

but seldom develop all of them. Also, the degree of limitation will vary among 

individuals. Be aware that not all people with chronic pain will need accommodations to 

perform their jobs and many others may only need a few accommodations. The 

following is only a sample of the possibilities available. Numerous other accommodation 

solutions may exist.) 

Questions to Consider: 

1. What limitations is the employee with chronic pain experiencing? 

2. How do these limitations affect the employee and the employee’s job performance? 

3. What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations? 

4. What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems? Are all 

possible resources being used to determine possible accommodations? 

5. Has the employee with chronic pain been consulted regarding possible 

accommodations? 
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6. Once accommodations are in place, would it be useful to meet with the employee 

with chronic pain to evaluate the effectiveness of the accommodations and to 

determine whether additional accommodations are needed? 

7. Do supervisory personnel and employees need training regarding chronic pain? 

Accommodation Ideas: 

Activities of Daily Living: 

• Allow use of a personal attendant at work 

• Allow use of a service animal at work 

• Make sure the facility is accessible 

• Move workstation closer to the restroom 

• Allow longer breaks 

• Refer to appropriate community services 

• Provide access to a refrigerator 

Depression and Anxiety: 

• Develop strategies to deal with work problems before they arise 

• Provide sensitivity training to coworkers 

• Allow telephone calls during work hours to doctors and others for support 

• Provide information on counseling and employee assistance programs 

• Allow time off for medical treatment 

Fatigue/Weakness: 

• Reduce or eliminate physical exertion and workplace stress 

• Schedule periodic rest breaks away from the workstation 

• Allow a flexible work schedule and flexible use of leave time 

• Allow a self-paced workload 

• Provide parking close to the work-site and an accessible entrance 

• Install automatic door openers 

• Provide an accessible route of travel to other work areas used by the employee 

• Move workstation close to other work areas, office equipment, and break rooms 

Muscle Pain and Stiffness: 

• Implement ergonomic workstation design, e.g., ergonomic chair and adjustable 

workstation to alternate between sitting and standing 

• Reduce repetitive tasks or interrupt the tasks with other duties 

• Provide carts and lifting aids 

• Modify work-site temperature and/or dress code 
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• Use fan/air-conditioner or heater at the workstation 

• Allow work from home during extremely hot or cold weather 

Situations and Solutions: 

An appointment secretary was reprimanded for poor attendance due to chronic pain. 

She was provided periodic rest breaks when at work and allowed telecommuting parttime. 

A human resources manager had chronic pain due to a car accident. The individual 

was having difficulty getting to work on time. He was accommodated with a flexible 

schedule to allow more time to access public transit. 

A switchboard operator with chronic pain and fibromyalgia was accommodated with 

flexible scheduling, rest breaks, and an adjustable workstation. The adjustable 

workstation allowed her to alternate between a sitting and standing position. 

An individual with chronic pain due to a back injury was having difficulty sitting 

throughout the day. She was accommodated with a reclining workstation. 

A medical technician with chronic pain was restricted from doing repetitive work. He 

was required to perform typing throughout the day. He was transferred to another job 

requiring less repetition. 

An assembly line worker with chronic pain was having difficulty standing for long 

periods. He was accommodated with a sit-lean stool and anti-fatigue matting. 

Products: 

There are numerous products that can be used to accommodate people with limitations. 

JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://askjan.org/soar is 

designed to let users explore various accommodation options. Many product vendor 

lists are accessible through this system; however, upon request JAN provides these 

lists and many more that are not available on the Web site. Contact JAN directly if you 

have specific accommodation situations, are looking for products, need vendor 

information, or are seeking a referral. 
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Resources 

Job Accommodation Network 

West Virginia University 

PO Box 6080 

Morgantown, WV 26506-6080 

Toll Free: (800)526-7234 

TTY: (877)781-9403 

Fax: (304)293-5407 

jan@askjan.org 

http://askjan.org 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free consulting service that provides 

information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and 

the employability of people with disabilities. 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1303 

Washington, DC 20210 

Toll Free: (866)633-7635 

TTY: (877)889-5627 

Fax: (202)693-7888 

http://www.dol.gov/odep/ 

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is an agency within the U.S. 

Department of Labor. ODEP provides national leadership to increase employment 

opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities while striving to eliminate barriers to 

employment. 

American Academy of Pain Management 

13947 Mono Way #A 

Sonora, CA 95370 

Direct: (209)533-9744 

Fax: (209)533-9750 

rosemary@aapainmanage.org 

http://www.aapainmanage.org 

The American Academy of Pain Management is the largest multidisciplinary pain 

society and largest physician based pain society in the United States. 

American Chronic Pain Association 

P.O. Box 850 

Rocklin, CA 95677-0850 

Toll Free: (800)533-3231 

Fax: (916)632-3208 

ACPA@pacbell.net 
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http://www.theacpa.org 

The purpose of the American Chronic Pain Association is to facilitate peer support and 

education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals 

may live more fully in spite of their pain. 

American Pain Foundation 

201 N. Charles Street, Suite 710 

Baltimore, MD 21201-4111 

Toll Free: (888)615-PAIN 

info@painfoundation.org 

http://www.painfoundation.org 

Organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy, and support. 

International Association for the Study of Pain 

111 Queen Anne Avenue North 

Suite 501 

Seattle, WA 98109-4955 

Fax: (206)283-9403 

Phone: (206)283-0311 

iaspdesk@iasp-pain.org 

http://www.iasp-pain.org 

IASP is an international, multidisciplinary, non-profit professional association dedicated 

to furthering research on pain and improving the care of patients with pain. 

National Chronic Pain Outreach Association 

http://www.chronicpain.org/ 

NCPOA publishes the newsletter, Lifeline, and serves as a clearinghouse of information 

on any kind of chronic pain. NCPOA also maintains a list of support groups, has reprints 

of materials on all aspect of chronic pain, and can help in set up a local support group. 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 

P.O. Box 5801 

Bethesda, MD 20824 

Toll Free: (800)352-9424 

Direct: (301)496-5751 

TTY: (301)468-5981 

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ 

The NINDS, an agency of the U.S. Federal Government and a component of the 

National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Public Health Service, is a lead agency for the 
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congressionally designated Decade of the Brain, and the leading supporter of 

biomedical research on disorders of the brain and nervous system. 

National Organization for Rare Disorders 

55 Kenosia Avenue 

PO Box 1968 

Danbury, CT 06813-1968 

Toll Free: (800)999-6673 

Direct: (203)744-0100 

TTY: (203)797-9590 

Fax: (203)798-2291 

orphan@rarediseases.org 

http://www.rarediseases.org/ 

NORD is a unique federation of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping 

people with rare "orphan" diseases and assisting the organizations that serve them. 

NORD is committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders through 

programs of education, advocacy, research, and service. 

National Pain Foundation 

300 E Hampden Avenue, Suite 100 

Englewood, CO 80113 

http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org 

The National Pain Foundation is an on-line education and support community for 

persons in pain, their families, and physicians. 
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References 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1992). A technical assistance manual on 

the employment provisions (title I) of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Retrieved September 5, 2008, from http://askjan.org/links/ADAtam1.html 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (n.d.). NINDS chronic pain 

information page. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from 

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm 

Sternberg, S. (2005). Chronic pain: The enemy within. Retrieved June 30, 2005, from 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-05-08-chronic-pain-cover_x.htm 
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This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a 

contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment 

Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the 

position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, 

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of 

Labor.