The simple answer … yes!
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest research states that ‘an estimated 141.4 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in the UK in 2018, the equivalent to 4.4 days per worker.’
In the same year, the ONS found that the medium full-time weekly wage was £569, equating to a day rate of £113.80.
This data could suggest that an employer lost £500.72 per employee for their sickness absences.
The ONS also showed that occupations that likely resulted in prolonged use of DSE had higher sickness absence rates, such as ‘Administrative and secretarial occupations’ in comparison to ‘Skilled trades occupations’.
They state that three of the most common reasons for sickness absence in 2018 were:
musculoskeletal problems (including back pain and neck and upper limb problems)
“other” conditions (including accidents)
mental health conditions (including stress, depression and anxiety)
Sadly, we know that musculoskeletal problems, fatigue and stress are all risks associated with DSE use. Therefore, it goes without saying that if those risks were assessed and mitigated against, the prevalence of them would drop and absenteeism reduce.
So is it worth it?
Again, yes!
By investing in a thorough one-off DSE Assessment for an employee that not only addresses the risks but educates the user to adopt long-term healthy habits, you can save approximately £500 per employee per year in lost days work.
Please get in touch here to discuss your requirements.