Employees Who Sit All Day are Expensive Employees

“I can’t come in today because my back is acting up again.” We have all gotten, sent, or wanted to send that email into work. It is the number one symptom of Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). It also places a tremendous financial burden on companies across the globe.

According to a joint study through the Cochrane Work Group and published in the National Institute of Health, up to 92% of office workers have reported musculoskeletal symptoms most likely due to workplace sustained postures, prolonged keyboard and mouse use, high workload and stress. A recent Global Burden of Disease Study named low back pain the leading cause of disability globally.

This translates into a huge economic burden for companies in terms of direct medical costs, loss of work productivity, work disability, and absenteeism. It is estimated to cost up to 2% of a country’s GDP - that is over $508 billion in the US.

Best practices to reduce this burden in your office is to plan for standing or treadmill work stations, walking meetings, or enforced movement breaks. The ability to move can benefit your office in many ways - increased productivity and fewer people calling out sick due to bad backs. How will you offset this financial burden in your office?

Read the full study here: Cochrane Work Group, Clinical Rheumatology (Bevan), Clinical Rheumatology (Buchbinder).