The quiet signs of Parkinson’s that can upend workforce plans

A high-performing executive starts speaking more slowly, looks less expressive and seems to fade in long meetings. Colleagues blame stress. In many cases, the underlying issue may be Parkinson’s disease – and that has direct implications for workforce planning, benefits and disability costs. 

The World Health Organization says Parkinson’s is one of the fastest-growing neurological conditions in the world and notes that its prevalence has doubled in the last 25 years, with more than 8.5 million people living with the disease in 2019.  

The agency describes it as a brain condition that affects movement, mental health, sleep, pain and other aspects of health, and confirms there is no cure, only therapies that can reduce symptoms. 

In Canada, Parkinson Canada estimates that more than 110,000 people are living with Parkinson’s and expects that number to rise as the population ages.  

At the same time, Statistics Canada reports that Canadians aged 55 and older are staying in the labour force longer.  

That combination points to more employees – including senior decision-makers – working while living with a progressive, disabling condition. 

These issues were highlighted in a recent press release by LEV Continuing Education, who is hosting a live virtual webinar on February 24. The program will aim to address workplace and disability accommodation obligation, human rights and employment law considerations, among other key issues for employers, plan sponsors and professionals living with Parkinson's. 

Not just a retirement issue 

Parkinson Canada says a meaningful share of people receive a diagnosis before age 60, including early-onset cases that hit during peak earning and leadership years. That creates a misalignment with how many employers interpret visible changes in performance. 

Parkinson’s can affect: 

• Speech and voice modulation 

• Facial expression 

• Stamina and energy 

• Movement and motor coordination 

• Processing speed 

In practice, that can look like a once-dynamic leader becoming quieter, less expressive and slower to respond.  

According to the World Health Organization, Parkinson’s also causes non-motor symptoms such as cognitive impairment, mental health disorders, dementia, sleep problems, pain and sensory disturbances.  

These can further erode capacity, reliability and presence at work, even when deep expertise remains intact. 

HR, benefits teams and plan sponsors can easily misread Parkinson’s as disengagement, burnout or simple “slowing down,” and they may struggle to separate it from legitimate performance concerns. 

High personal and family burden – and workplace knock-on effects 

The World Health Organization reports that involuntary movements (dyskinesias) and painful muscle contractions (dystonias) can interfere with speaking and moving, contributing to high disability and a growing need for care.  

Many people with Parkinson’s develop dementia as the disease progresses. 

The burden also extends to families as WHO notes that informal carers – most often family members and friends – spend many hours a day providing support and often experience significant physical, emotional and financial strain.  

This means more workers juggling full-time jobs, caregiving and their own health, with clear implications for absenteeism, disability claims, burnout, and retirement timing. 

Parkinson’s also carries a stigma. According to WHO, people with the disease often face discrimination at work and reduced chances to participate in their communities, reinforced by myths that Parkinson’s is contagious or simply part of normal aging.  

Those dynamics can push experienced employees out of the workforce earlier than necessary, undermining succession plans and driving up disability and pension costs. 

Against this backdrop, the core questions are less clinical and more structural: 

• How do you distinguish health-driven changes from performance issues in senior roles where credibility, presence and stamina matter? 

• When and how do you open a conversation about accommodation without breaching privacy or triggering stigma? 

• How do you design benefits, disability and flexible work policies that realistically account for fluctuating capacity over years, not months? 

• How do you support employees who are also caregivers for parents or partners with Parkinson’s? 

The World Health Organization notes that many medications and surgical resources for Parkinson’s are not accessible, available or affordable everywhere, which means symptom control – and thus work capacity – will vary based on geography, program funding and system readiness, even within high-income countries.  

That reality affects duration and cost of disability claims, timing of retirement and the sustainability of plans designed around assumptions of relatively stable late-career health. 

Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that hits exactly where many employers and plans concentrate skill, leadership and cost: older, experienced workers.  

"This is not about alarm - it's about preparedness," said Jill Mayer, founder of LEV Continuing Education in the release. "If organizations haven't encountered this yet, they likely will soon. Progressive neurological conditions are becoming more visible across the workforce. Leaders and HR professionals must be equipped to respond with clarity, fairness, and integrity - not uncertainty."

The original story failed to attribute LEV Continuing Education and was later edited to reflect the mention. BPM regrets the error.