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Data on absenteeism do not indicate any markedly elevated rates in people with epilepsy and
turnover rate has been reported as lower. This may be due to anticipated or real difficulties
in obtaining another job.

Seizures at work
If a seizure does occur at work, three factors affect the level of disruption: the severity, the
suddenness and the location. A severe seizure at work is likely to cause a good deal of
disturbance and disruption, at least to those in the immediate vicinity. Milder attacks cause
little disturbance and may even go unnoticed. Possibly the most disruptive seizures are those
which occur without warning or in someone who was not known to have epilepsy.

Stress
Stress is recognised as a possible seizure precipitant. Reports in the literature suggest that the
person with epilepsy may be particularly vulnerable during the first few weeks of a new job.
At this time people who are keen to prove their worth and make a good impression may put
themselves under the kind of stress that makes seizures likely to occur, particularly if they
have not disclosed their epilepsy. It has also been reported from a US survey that as many as
80% of people with epilepsy regarded the fear of having a seizure at work as a reason for not
seeking or maintaining open employment.

Shift work
It has been suggested that adapting to shift work will increase the chances of suffering a
seizure in people with epilepsy who may be particularly susceptible to persistent fatigue,
sleep disturbance and disruption of routine. If a patient has more seizures in the context of
lack of sleep or occasional missed doses of medication then they might be vulnerable if they
undertake shift work, as might individuals with well established nocturnal seizures.

Working with computers
For the majority of people with epilepsy, working in front of a computer monitor will not be
a problem and will not trigger seizures. Individuals with photosensitive epilepsy are at risk,
however this is a rare condition in adults with seizures. Most computers work at a frequency
which does not tend to provoke seizures. Laptop computers are even less likely to trigger
seizures than ordinary computers. Work involving computers has increased dramatically in
recent years and this growth is of potential benefit to people with epilepsy. Working with
computers is relatively safe and enables employment within the home, which can overcome
the problems of transport.

Accidents at work
The few studies looking at the experience of people with epilepsy at work tend to show that
they have no more accidents at work than anyone else. Of course, this may be because they
are less exposed to potentially high-risk situations, such as working at heights or driving
vehicles. It may also be that when accidents occur, particularly if they are relatively minor,
they are less likely to be reported. In one study of a sheltered workshop employing people
with epilepsy, the accident rate was considered so impressively low that the company was
awarded insurance premium reductions. In most work situations it should be possible to
minimise the risk of accidents.

Employees accident liability
The ineligibility of people with disabilities for employees’ accident liability insurance has
been used incorrectly as a reason for not employing someone with epilepsy. Employers are
obliged to take out insurance to cover injury that might arise from work. The majority of
insurance policies will treat anyone with a disability on the same terms as the rest of the
workforce providing that the duties allocated take the disability into account. To ensure they