Can I Work While On Treatment?

Since side effects are different for each person, it’s hard to say how much your Hepatitis C treatment will affect your work schedule.  Some people keep a regular schedule while others lessen their hours or stop working altogether.  Here are some work-related issues to think about before beginning treatment:

• If your job has predictable cycles of being busier or slower during certain times of the year, ask your doctor if you can begin treatment at a less busy time of year.
• Take your weekly pegylated interferon injection on a weekend, or before a day when you are off work and can rest more easily.
• You can ask your employer about the possibility of reducing the number of hours you work for a period of time.
• If drug therapy becomes too much to handle while working, you can consider going on short-term medical disability leave.
• Speak to someone in Human Resources to learn about your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Depending on your particular situation, the ADA may apply.
• You should not be stopped from going to your workplace because you have Hepatitis C.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for the prevention and control of Hepatitis C, people should not be excluded from work, school, child care or other settings.