Sickness absence is an important economic issue for businesses, with more than 92 million working days being lost due to sickness every year in Australia. Statistics show that the average number of days off sick, per employee, totaled 9.5 days per employee in 2017. Sickness absence also costs businesses lost productivity and revenue with Australian businesses losing an average of $3,608 an employee which amount to a staggering $33 billion a year.

In addition to affecting businesses, sick leave is also an important indicator of a person’s underlying health. Extended periods of sick leave can negatively affect an employee’s job security, social relationships, and financial status.

Since the well-being of employees is just as important as their skills, organisations must put measures in place to improve both employee health and workplace productivity. One of the most cost-effective solutions that can help reduce sickness absence and minimise the impact on your company is having a work assessment and structured exercise program done by a physiotherapist for your employees.

A physiotherapist can help your employees recover from injury, manage pain and maintain their general well-being and mobility. The practitioners use a combination of tailor-made exercise programs and hand-on therapy to create a healthy workforce and deliver the benefits that come with a structured physiotherapy program.

Below are the benefits of physiotherapy for the workplace.

Prevent the Onset of Disease

Physiotherapy is often associated with managing conditions once they have taken a turn for the worse. However, it also takes a proactive approach to enhancing the well being of employees and managing risks.

Physiotherapists have an extensive understanding of the ailments caused by poor working habits. They can also identify contributing factors which lead to the development of work-related conditions. By listening to you and your employees, a physiotherapist can understand the working patterns and needs of your employees and design a strategy that is right for them.

To manage factors that can lead to the development of diseases, it is important that your staff take a holistic approach, focusing on improving emotional wellbeing, increasing physical activity and more traditional interventions like workplace ergonomics.

Prompt Diagnosis

A physiotherapist can be beneficial in helping your business spot the warning signs of occupational and work-related diseases. Musculoskeletal disorders, for instance, are the most common work-related issues. A physiotherapist can identify hazards and signs such as loss of limb function, decreased grip strength, decreased range of motion and muscle weakness before the condition becomes chronic. The physiotherapist can also identify employees at risk and provide early intervention though screening.

Workplace Health Consulting

Our physiotherapists also offer on-site consulting which is valuable in preventing injury and optimising return to work. On-site consulting include analysing injury trends in the workplace, assessing the likelihood of injury, their severity and recommending control measures that can reduce the occurrence and/or severity of the identified risk.

Off-Site Assistance

In addition to onsite help, physiotherapists also offer offsite assistance which allows your employees to be treated off-site on a case-by-case basis. Your staff can receive services similar to those they receive while at work, including specialised assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation programs.

 

If you think we can be of assistance in helping optimise your workers health and productivity, please give us a call on 02 9144 1510.