As chronic pain erodes productivity, Pain BC’s trades-focused text line offers low-barrier support mode
On many Canadian job sites, pain is still treated as a badge of honour rather than a workplace hazard; in Canada, chronic pain is estimated to affect 50 to 70 percent of workers.
With the launch of the Guide Line – a free, confidential text service for B.C. trades workers – Pain BC is trying to change that culture and give workers somewhere to turn before chronic pain derails their lives and careers.
Backed by a blunt public campaign calling out “walk it off” and “push through the pain” attitudes, the initiative spotlights how normalized suffering can undermine safety and performance.
Chronic pain hidden in return-to-work stats
Ben Marolais, project director at Metro-Can Construction and a member of Pain BC 's Trades and Pain Program Advisory Committee, says many injuries look resolved on paper long before workers are truly well enough to work without pain.
He says government and employers can see “how many workers are actually injured at work, and then go through the return to work program for WCB, and then are back engaged to work. But they're suffering in pain every day.”
He points to workers coming back from ankle, knee, back or shoulder surgeries within months, often on modified duties, but still struggling. For HR and safety leaders, that disconnect between a formal return to work and real recovery means lingering pain can quietly erode productivity, strain mental health and increase the risk of unsafe work – even when the files look closed.
“Many people go back to work on modified duties with ongoing pain, like they're hurting trying to move their shoulder after shoulder surgery, they may have scar tissue," Marolais says.
"These injuries are existing, but no oon's talking about it. As a result, there's no real data."
Culture shift on site – and the role of HR
Marolais says the “walk it off” problem isn't an upper management problem, it's concentrated “right there on site,” particularly among younger workers.
“It's more of the hands-on workers that are between 22-years-old and 30-years-old, that are going 'Suck it up, you'll be fine tomorrow.' Many of them will suck it up by going home and drinking a case of beer,” he says.
Marolais contrasts that with HR teams, who he describes as largely supportive of change.
“HR is all over it. They're like, 'Let's get some counselors. Let's get some people out there. Like, let's talk to people.' And they're supporting it ... it's okay to be healthy. It's okay to talk about mental health,” Marolais says.
He explains that talking about mental health without talking about pain often means the root cause of issues remain invisible and go unaddressed.
Ben Marsolais and new Pain BC signage on site. Submitted.
The real task for HR leaders, he says, is ensuring that "emotionally intelligent" supervisors and crew leaders make it to the job sites in the first place.
For Marsolais this means a supervisor's core skill set should include "being able to listen and understand, encouraging conversations and when needed, seeking help."
Confidential support as early intervention
Pain BC’s Guide Line is designed as a safe first step for workers living with pain. Trades workers in B.C. can text “TRADES” to 1-833-261-PAIN (7246) Monday to Thursday between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific time to connect with a Pain BC counsellor for one-on-one support and resources tailored to physically demanding work.
No union membership or insurance coverage is required.
Marsolais says being able to talk about pain without stigma is central to improving workers' quality of life and recovery from injuries.
“If you can talk about your pain and not have a stigma around it, you can actually be able to express it and take away the power from it,” he says. He explains that Pain BC offers counselling that can validate a worker’s experience – “your pain is real. You're allowed to acknowledge it” – and help them explore options such as specialized therapies and healthier coping strategies.
That confidentiality is also critical for workers who fear career consequences if they speak up.
"If you have a private, confidential number where you can talk to a counselor about it, you're more likely to reach out and get support," he says.
"You're embarrassed, you're ashamed, all those feelings inside that you can't express. With a private hotline and personal service, you know it's confidential, you know you're safe.”
Pain BC onsite signage. Submitted.
Why supporting pain is a business decision
Marolais links chronic pain directly to performance. He points to research showing the impact of chronic pain – and its impacts on mental health and substance use – on productivity.
"Pain is the greatest cause of disability in Canada so when people are in pain, you're losing productivity, you're losing hours out of the day," Marsolais says.
"But if you can engage someone and let them know it's safe to acknowledge pain and seek support, they're not feeling the pain like they would if they weren't able to talk about it or felt like they had to work through it."
Office workers and invisible pain at the desk
Marolais says the patterns he sees on construction sites are echoed in offices, where workers can be in constant pain without ever naming it as such. He points to people at desks “nine-to-10 hours a day” with chronic wrist, neck or back pain who “are in agony, but you are forced to do your job because you've got to make a paycheck.”
For HR in desk-based environments, his comments underline that musculoskeletal issues and chronic pain aren't limited to heavy industry – and that “suffer in silence” can just as easily describe someone behind a monitor as someone on a job site.
“I think the acknowledgement is the big part. When it comes to HR and executives, I know they're promoting stand up desks. I know they're promoting going for walks. The next step could be integrating pain prevention programs and teaching about what people can do to manage their own pain better" Marolais says.
“That's part of what HR and the teams of executives should be looking at. How do you make your teams healthier? If you have a healthy, organized employee with reduced anxiety, stress and pain, you're going to get the best out of them.”
