People are warned all the time of workplace hazards but not so much about the health hazards of not working. When an individual is off work due to illness or injury, there can be significant negative impacts to both physical and psychological health and wellbeing. The Canadian Medical Association’s Policy Statement from 1997 stated “prolonged absence from one’s normal roles, including absence from the workplace, is detrimental to a person’s mental, physical and social well-being.” Additionally, research has found that the relative risk of increased mortality for being unemployed is greater that that of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, obesity, or poverty. Worklessness is also associated with increased rates of suicide, obesity, heart attack, depression, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, and more.
We need to help workers, employers, physicians, healthcare providers, and others understand the importance of stay-at-work and/or return-to-work. We also need to change the thinking that the workplace is a harmful environment when a person has an illness or injury. It is usually in the worker’s best interest to remain in the workforce. Returning to work as soon as possible after an illness or injury must be encouraged. When an individual is removed from the work environment for a prolonged time, serious and often long-lasting adverse events can occur.
This presentation will cover the connection between health and work, the detrimental effects of worklessness and what employers can do to support workers and remove barriers to return to work.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the relationship between health, work and worklessness.
- Understand why it is usually in the worker’s best interest to remain in the workforce.
- Understand what employers can do to support early and safe return to work and remove barriers.