It’s no secret that workplace injuries are bad news; not only do they negatively affect the worker who sustained them, they cost the company money and could impact other employees’ perceptions of their environments. But how much damage does a single workplace injury really do, and what can you do to prevent them?
A recent scientific study published in Safety Science explores these questions.
Four Main Areas of Impact
The study, from 2013, found that workplace-derived injuries and illnesses negatively influence four main variables, all of which can harm the company:
- Sick days. First and foremost, workplace injuries tend to result in more sick days. That means you’ll pay your employees for time they won’t spend working, and your workers won’t be as engaged in the workplace.
- Job stress. Second, job stress increases—and not just in the injured worker. The incident of a workplace injury negatively affects employee perceptions of the health and safety of your workplace. That means all your employees will experience more stress, which leads to lower morale and even more health conditions in the future.
- Job satisfaction. As you might imagine, job satisfaction decrease when a worker experiences a workplace-derived injury or illness. That means productivity, in turn, will decrease, and morale will decrease as well.
- Turnover intention. Finally, workers who experience workplace injuries have a higher likelihood of seeking new positions elsewhere. Even one workplace incident is enough to compromise your employee retention rate, which could cost your company significantly in terms of time and money.
The solution, as recommended by the researchers, is to have professionals work actively to correct environmental conditions that may lead to healthcare accidents, injuries, and illnesses. Doing so will clearly save time, retain employees, and keep your employees happier and more productive.
But that’s easier said than done. Consider hiring an employee wellness expert, like those of us at Ethiam, to make things simpler. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!