Thyroid conditions

What is it?

The thyroid is a gland which is found in the neck and secretes the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine which control the body’s metabolism.

Hyperthyroidism

Overactive thyroid

In hyperthyroidism the body produces too much thyroxine or triiodothyronine which speeds up the metabolism, this can cause:

Hyperactivity
Increased appetite
Sudden weight loss or weight gain
A range of other symptoms

If not successfully controlled, hyperthyroidism can cause an irregular heart beat and over a long period brittle bones. In severe cases it can cause death.

Treatment of hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medication, the use of radioiodine treatment which causes the gland to shrink, or surgery. Radioiodine treatment or surgery can result in underproduction of thyroid and cause hypothyroidism. The treating physician will decide on the best treatment option depending on the clinical circumstances.

How might it affect work?

Without treatment, individuals with hyperthyroidism can become very unwell. Treatment is usually effective and the individual will usually be able to return to work. It may take a while for treatment to become effective and this can result in individuals being absent for a period of time whilst their condition stabilises.

In the long term, once under control, the condition does not have any serious implications for work provided that the individual continues to take their prescribed medication.

Hypothyroidism

Underactive thyroid

In hypothyroidism the body does not produce enough thyroxine or triiodothyronine and the metabolism slows down. This can cause of range of symptoms including:

Weight gain
Muscle aches
Tiredness

Treatment of hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is treated with tablets which replace the thyroxine in the body. The individual will need to have regular blood tests to make sure that their thyroxine levels are correct and it may take a while to establish the correct dose. Once the correct dosage has been established, the individual will need to take this regularly and will have their thyroid levels checked annually.

How might it affect work?

Hypothyroidism is not usually serious and taking thyroxine tablets will restore the lack of thyroxine in the blood and cure the symptoms. However, the individual will have to take this medication for the rest of their life. Once controlled, hypothyroidism should not adversely affect an individual’s ability to function effectively at work.

If hypothyroidism is not treated it can affect an individual’s ability to concentrate and symptoms such as tiredness can reduce their performance at work.

Referral to occupational health

Employees should be referred to Occupational Health if a health condition is adversely impacting an individual at work, for example:

Short frequent sickness absence
Absence from work following diagnosis
Inadequate control of a condition affecting performance at work

Points to remember

Fit notes

If an employee produces a fit note indicating that they require modified duties, discuss this with them and consider if the modification recommended can be reasonably accommodated.

Job tasks and risk assessments

Review the risk assessment for the employee’s job role and work tasks including the ability to drive safely where required. Take into consideration any temporary modification that may be required to accommodate their reduced ability to undertake certain tasks.

General guidance

If you require further information, refer to the general advice on managing attendance.