First Day Back to Work Stats & Facts

FACTS

  1. A targeted wellness program should be an integral part of any workplace environment, and a major step in preventing workplace injuries.
  2. The severity of the injury or illness often has a direct impact on the number of days an employee will be out of work, and how much the injury or illness will cost the employee and employer.
  3. The longer an employee is out of work as a result of an illness or injury, the less-likely they are to return to work. Studies suggest that when an employee is out of work for more than six months, they have less than a 50% chance of ever returning to work in any capacity.
  4. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, returning to work after a period of absence comes with many risks. There is an increased likelihood of workplace injuries on Mondays, which is often the first day back at work after absence due to days off, vacation or an injury.

STATS

Injured Workers and Lost Work Days

  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 3 million non-fatal workplace injuries in 2014 – resulting in the equivalent of 3.2 cases for every 100 full-time-equivalent employees. This number doesn’t include non-workplace related injuries and illness, making it clear just how many of these types of events occur each year.
  • Nearly 30% of employees that are injured on the job lose days from work. As an example, 1.1 million people suffered a workplace injury in 2008, resulting in over 8.5 million days of combined lost productivity throughout the U.S. This lost productivity has a direct impact on the employer, the employee, and the economy a whole.

The Impact of Return to Work Programs

  • The good news is that these studies also show that 80-90% of injured employees would rather return to work than collect disability.
  • According to the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, having a return to work program in place reduces the length of an injured employee’s absence by an average of 3.6 weeks. Even for an employee who faces a permanent disability, a return to work program reduces the average number of weeks out of work by 12.6 weeks.