When Migraine Gets in the
Way of Careers

Top Insights

of migraine sufferers who are employed feel like migraine headaches have held them back from advancing in their career.

of employed migraine sufferers aren't open with their managers about their condition.

of employed migraine sufferers have missed 5+ days of work in the past 12 months due to their migraine attacks.

1 in 7 people have migraine worldwide, meaning that if you work in a company with 500 people, 70 of them could be suffering from a debilitating condition. Yet, they’re suffering in silence because too many people write migraine attacks off as “just a headache.” This silent suffering means that those people are being penalized at work, unable to get ahead because their needs are going unacknowledged by themselves and their companies.

Here at Cove, we don’t think being a migraine sufferer means you have to give up on having a fulfilling job. In a survey of nearly 1,000 people, a combination of Cove customers and other migraine sufferers, Cove set out to better understand the impact of migraine on careers, to identify coping strategies, and to provide tools that make it easier to get ahead. 

“I've been fired from nearly 20 jobs over the years, due to having to call in sick from my migraines.”


- America M, Cove Customer

“I don’t think workplaces take migraines seriously. I think they think it’s just a headache. They don’t quite understand the extent of it and how debilitating it is.”

- Jessica T, Cove Customer

"It's important to cultivate a caring team environment. Show kindness and support for yourself and others, the only thing worse than being sick is feeling guilty about being sick."

- Cristina Wohlgehagen, MD, Neurologist, Headache Specialist, and Founder of IHaC

“It may seem obvious, but the best thing a manager can do when an employee discloses that they have a chronic health condition is to listen.”

- Anna Auerbach, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Werk

About Cove

Cove is dedicated to helping people manage their migraine in the way that works best for them. We offer affordable, FDA-approved acute and preventative medications, personalized treatment plans, messaging access to licensed doctors, a tracking tool, and educational resources all designed to help you take control of your migraines.