Arthritis isn't just about feeling some soreness. The pain and stiffness of the chronic disease as well as the accompanying fatigue and lack of energy affect people's work performance and quality of life.

People may not realize the struggles that some of their coworkers go through because of the disease. About four million - one in six - Canadians have arthritis.

About 60 per cent are of working age, so there's a cost Canadian society as well as to the individual.

That's why the Arthritis Society of BC has put the focus on the workplace for September, which is Arthritis Awareness Month.

Within the Canadian economy, arthritis cost about $6.4 million in annual health care expenses and lost productivity with the costs of long-term disability making up about two-thirds of that total.

"There's lots of things people can do," said Trish Silvester-Lee, the manager of education services for the Fraser Valley.

She knows first-hand what these simple steps can mean to a person's ability to maintain a job.

Telephone headsets, common in modern offices, allow users to reduce strain on their necks. Split computer keyboards, electric staplers and hole punches, and other modern devices that can been seen in most offices are other simple items that can help people with arthritis get the job done without doing in their joints.

"Joint protection is the main thing," said Silvester-Lee.

The society is encouraging people to work smarter, which helps both the employee with arthritis and the employer (and ultimately the bottom line).

"The loss of employment, the way they can't contribute to society - there's huge costs in that," she said.

Workers have to watch their posture and the society suggests they wear comfortable shoes to reduce stress on joints.

Workers and employers can find out about the simple steps they can take to make job sites more arthritis-friendly by contacting the society's Fraser Valley office at 604-514-9902 or through the society's website (www.arthritis.ca).