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Sick Leave: Who Needs It?

Employers can save money if workers don't use sick leave. One way to prevent health care and sick leave use is to reduce risk factors for their use. This study shows that low back pain, older age, and living alone are important risk factors for sick leave use. So are high job strain and being female.

Work-related neck, back, and arm pain often comes back after the first episode. In this study at least one-third of all workers with a musculoskeletal problem took sick leave or got further medical care three to six months after the first episode of pain.

Reducing sick leave use more than trying to prevent back pain may be the best way to save money in health care costs. While employers can't change some of the risk factors, programs to reduce work-related risk factors might help. Symptoms are linked to high job strain and lack of support from the supervisor. High job strain was defined as high job demands and low job control.

The results of this study showed when looking for ways to reduce sick leave, employers may need to look at a different set of risk factors. Reducing both work-related physical and work-related psychosocial factors might save money more than trying to prevent recurrence of musculoskeletal pain and symptoms.

References: W. IJzelenberg, MSc, and A. Burdorf, PhD. Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Ensuing Health Care Use and Sick Leave. In Spine. July 1, 2005. Vol. 30. No. 13. Pp. 1550-1556.

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