COPD Living With Can COPD Impact Your Employment? By Deborah Leader, RN Updated on February 13, 2022 Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Print A diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a condition that causes inflammation of the lungs and severe difficulty breathing—may seem like the end of life as you know it. In truth, many things will be different from now on. But although at first, it may not seem possible, once you and your healthcare provider have worked out how best to manage your COPD, you may find that it will be much less disruptive than you feared. This may be particularly true of your work life. Although some research has shown that in certain cases a person with COPD may have a significant drop in income and even wind up quitting work altogether, neither is a given. In fact, both are more likely to result from the impact of health conditions associated with COPD, such as pneumonia or heart disease, rather than the disease itself. Of course, if you've been diagnosed with COPD and it's clear the type of work you do will make your condition worse, you may want to consider long-term disability. Otherwise, there are many viable ways to continue working productively and earning a living while living with COPD. Making Your Workplace Work For You If your job is likely to have little impact on your condition and you choose to continue working, talk to your employer about making adjustments in your physical environment and schedule that will allow you to continue working with as few disruptions as possible. Some relatively easy things your employer might do to accommodate you include: Assigning a parking space for you that's close to the doorMoving your workstation closer to the entrance of the buildingPermitting you to work from home a couple of days a week, or even every dayGiving you the flexibility to come in late or leave early for healthcare provider appointments Providing a smoke-free, dust-free, fume-free environment—for instance, asking your co-workers not to wear heavy colognes or perfumesMaking sure the office has adequate ventilationAllowing you to use a scooter or motorized cart in the office The Importance of Self-Care While your employer will be concerned about your personal health and well-being, he also will understandably need to feel confident you'll do what you can to stay productive. Let him know that for your part, you will: Do everything you can to prevent a COPD exacerbation. An exacerbation can cause you to miss work or even land you in the hospital. Wash your hands frequently, steer clear of crowds or people who are sick, and always get your flu and pneumonia vaccines. Wear your oxygen at work. Oxygen therapy helps prevent breathlessness, improves mental alertness, and increases stamina. Should You Retire? Leaving your job early because of COPD can have a negative impact on your pension benefits and a dramatic effect on your financial well-being and that of your family's. For that reason, don't be too quick to accept early retirement. First check in with your healthcare provider to make sure you really are doing all you can to continue working, such as using oxygen therapy at work or trying a different medication to reduce your breathlessness. Next turn to a financial planner and the personnel department of your company. If early retirement really is your best option, both can help you make preparations to ensure that you and your family are well taken care of. 5 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Wheaton AG, Cunningham TJ, Ford ES, Croft JB; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Employment and activity limitations among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—United States. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.;64(11):289-95. COPD Foundation. Medically qualifying for disability with COPD. U.S. Department of Labor. Job accommodations. American Lung Association. COPD management tools. Fletcher MJ, Upton J, Taylor-Fishwick J, et al. COPD uncovered: an international survey on the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] on a working age population. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:612. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-612 Additional Reading Korpershoek YJ, Bruins Slot JC, Effing TW, Schuurmans MJ, Trappenburg JC. Self-management behaviors to reduce exacerbation impact in COPD patients: a Delphi study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2017;12:2735-2746. doi:10.2147/COPD.S138867 Social Security Administration. Disability evaluation under Social Security: 3.00 respiratory disorders–adult. By Deborah Leader, RN Deborah Leader RN, PHN, is a registered nurse and medical writer who focuses on COPD. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit