Pain And the Pinch

Are injured workers having a detrimental effect on the economy?

The economy is climbing out of a recession meaning that we are in a period of recovery. However quite ironically, this has come at a time in which workers are literally at worse pain.
"Almost 31 million days of work were lost last year due to back, neck and muscle problems, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."This is a further 4 million days lost compared with the common cough and cold.

Neck and muscle problems are referred to as musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. They include other pains in areas such as joints. A problem with MSKs is that there is a greater chance that workers who suffer from them are more prone to long-term illness which is a concern for employers.

This country's main industries have switched from times of steel and raw material work to hundreds of people crammed in the floors of complexes in booths referred to as offices. This is why it seems bizarre that we are only now seeing our most injured workforce. However, we do need to take into account, that there was once a time were the complaint process was not so easy and lenient.

"The Work Foundation" estimates that employees suffering from bone and joint pain cost the EU's economies 240bn euros (£200bn) each year.

The main reason for the influx of injured is due to many workers not following legal guidelines due to personal preference. Also, some employers offer overtime which conflicts with the number of hours it is deemed healthy to be doing office work. The debate is really should employers have to employ more people due to legislation when they already have a workforce willing to work extra hours? Or should employers have physiotherapists at hand in the workplace?