Impact of your joint upon your ability to work: Step 1 examples

The first step in the OPAL programme asks you to think about how your joint affects your ability to work.

It is also helpful to think about the job you do and the demands of your workplace. This will allow you to think about how your current symptoms are being managed in the workplace. It will help you to think about how you hip affects your work activity, the type of work you do now and how this might change after surgery.

In your OPAL patient workbook or on the OPAL website, note down the demands of your workplace, any issues you are currently having at work and any issues you think will be a problem after surgery. It is useful to provide specific detail where possible.

Below is an example of how the “How does my hip or knee affect my ability to work?” form from Step 1 has been completed.

Please remember to include as much information and detail as you think is useful. This will help you when planning your return to work. Further examples are accessible as PDF downloads below the example provided on this page.

Example 1: Full-time engineer

1. Does your joint limit the time you spend doing your work or your ability to do your usual work?

The pain in my knee varies throughout the day. I usually have more problems in the morning. As a lot of my job is physical involving climbing and lifting, I either have to put these things off until I feel better or ask someone else to help out.

2. Does your joint make it difficult for you to get around your place of work?

Although my workplace is on one level, I have to sometimes go into the voids underneath the factory floor. As this involves crawling, it is now very difficult for me to do.

3. Does your joint make it difficult to do specific tasks or activities in your place of work?

Crawling in the voids, kneeling to operate some of the machine controls which are at ground level.

4. Does your joint affect the way you feel at work?

The pain in my knee gets me down so I often feel short tempered in the morning. I also get embarrassed about asking for help from my co-workers. I feel like I am not contributing enough in the workplace.

5. Does the treatment you are receiving for your joint e.g. painkillers, physiotherapy, affect your ability to work?

I often have to take strong painkillers that can affect my driving in the morning. I don’t take them even when I’m in pain as I don’t want it to affect what I’m doing.

6. Does the treatment you are receiving for your joint e.g. painkillers, physiotherapy, affect your ability to work?

When the pain in my knee is particularly bad, I have to concentrate hard on the job I’m on. Sometimes I have to get my colleagues to check what I have done.

7. Are there any “essential” tasks that you need to be able to do in your place of work that you cannot do because of your joint?

Climbing onto the machine via ladders is part of my job but I can’t do this so have had to pass it on to someone else.

8. Are there any tasks that you feel are unsafe because of your joint?

I don’t feel safe climbing the ladders onto the top of the machines. I try to get someone else to do this. I also don’t feel safe driving if I have taken painkillers.