Loss of worker productivity [due to absence] is estimated to cost more than $150 BILLION in the United States alone.
Journal of General Internal Medicine 7
National Institute of Health Statistics reports the most common types of pain experienced are: 5
- Low Back Pain;
- Severe headaches or migraines;
- Neck pain; and
- Facial ache/pain
Presenteeism: Employees that are present at work despite a medical illness or condition that will prevent them from full functioning
Whereas these statistics are not especially tied to a root cause of the workplace. The American Productivity Audit estimated workplace loss of productive time resulting from headaches, arthritis, low back pain, and other musculoskeletal conditions:
- 52.7% of the workforce surveyed reported having a headache, low back pain, arthritis, or other musculoskeletal pain in the past two weeks, and 12.7% of all workforce lost productive time in a two-week period due to pain. 5
- Headache (5.4%) was the most common pain condition prompting lost productive time, followed by low back pain (3.2%), arthritis (2%), and other musculoskeletal conditions (2%). 5
The following statistics are their findings expressed in hours, per worker per week, and calculated in U.S. dollars lost due to these conditions: 6
- Workers lost an average of 4.6 hours per week of productive time due to a pain condition, with other musculoskeletal pain (5.5 hours/week) and arthritis or low back pain (5.2 hours/week) producing the largest amount of lost productive time.
- Lost productive time from common painful conditions was estimated to be $61.2 billion per year, while 76.6% of lost time was attributed to reduced work performance, no absenteeism (presenteeism).
Even worst we also have common sickness and illnesses to deal with. According to the Vaccine [Journal], each flu season nearly 111 million workdays are lost due to the flu. That equals approximately $7 billion per year in sick days and lost productivity. 4
So what can be done about this?