ADOPTING A REHABILITATION POLICY FOR INJURIES OR SICKNESS COULD HAVE LONG TERM BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYERS

June 5th, 2008 Hinchliffes

Employers’ misconceptions and general lack of knowledge about rehabilitation for injuries resulting from an accident at work or absence due to ill health could be costing them up to £610 million each year.

EEF (employers’ organisation) and Unum (disability insurer) have published “The Sickness Absence Report 2008″, which indicates that businesses actively providing rehabilitation for injured or sick employees have enjoyed a 0.7% lower absence rate as a result.

This equates to an extra 1.5 days’ work per employee each year, and in the manufacturing industry this means something in the region of 4.5 million working days.

The reasons given for employers’ reluctance to consider rehabilitation included misconceptions about the effects on the employee’s health; resistance by employees themselves; GPs’ roles in promoting treatment; concerns about Disability Discrimination legislation.

The Report also highlighted mental health issues, which can be as a result of stress and is an area where early intervention could ease the situation and possibly prevent long term problems that could lead to people losing their jobs.

COMMENT:-

Promoting rehabilitation in the workplace is felt to be the best way to tackle sickness related absence.

Employers may be reluctant to become involved in rehabilitation for fear of accusations of interfering following a work accident where a personal injury claim is made (which may involve a compensation issue), or in an employment dispute. On the contrary, rehabilitation in these situations is encouraged as the aim is to return the employee to good health as quickly as possible and to everyone’s benefit.

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM SOLICITORS:-

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