BACKGROUND: Differential consequences of ill health according to individuals' position on the social scale may constitute an important pathway underlying social health inequalities. In the current context, chronic diseases have major consequences on employment. These consequences may play a substantial role in the process of social health inequalities. Understanding the employment consequences of chronic diseases and their socially differentiated nature constitutes a critical field of research for the comprehension and the reduction of social health inequalities. DISCUSSION: In the past decades, studies in various countries have provided evidence of an association between the presence of various chronic conditions and employment outcomes including decreased workforce participation, early retirement, work limitations, sickness absence from work or low access/return to work. However, available data leave unanswered important questions regarding the causal nature and the pathways underlying this association. In addition, only few studies have focused on social inequalities in the employment consequences of specific health conditions. Though, such studies appear essential in order to thoroughly investigate the pathways underlying such inequalities. These pathways deserve to be investigated in future researches. Such researches, in addition to their contribution to a better understanding of social health inequalities, potentially have important public health implications.