In study after study, employees with obesity issues are devouring their employers profits by being involved in more workers compensation claims. In fact they have higher workers compensation claim rates, spend more time getting back to work after an accident, and tend to be more affected by co-morbidity health issues. These facts are documented in multiple workers compensation studies from the NCCI as well as academic institutions and large workers compensation health agencies.
For example, in the article below, the author cites one example “where a worker weighing more than 300 pounds sprained an ankle. Even though he was in his mid-20s, the worker’s treatment dragged on for seven months without reaching maximum medical improvement, despite physical therapy and light-duty job.”
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/99999999/NEWS080104/399999789?tags=|331|329|304|92
In addition the author follows up with an insightful observation that cases like this one involving an obese person “presents an additional challenge for workers comp managers because the longer an injured worker is away from the job, the greater risk they will “decondition” and gain additional weight, making it even harder to help them return to work, several sources said.”
Clearly this is a complicated health issue with wide scale implications for workers compensation costs– especially for light industrial staffing companies. Americans are becoming more obese with each passing year and light duty is often hard to cost effectively coordinate.
A more positive trend among light industrial staffing companies this year is the use of Professional Employer Organization (PEO’s) to help them decrease their use of expensive State Funds and eliminate the need to pay for internal administrative staff. This increased efficiency helps staffing companies focus more on the sales and servicing of their clients.
For a FREE PEO quote from a PEO broker with 25 years of staffing industry experience, and who has seasoned relationships with PEO’s that specialize in partnering with light industrial staffing companies, contact me at davidstaffing@gmail.com or visit us at www.StaffingCompSolutions.com
All the best
David Schek
President
StaffingCompSolutions.com
American Staffing Association Member
California Staffing Association Member
Exclusive PEO Broker for the United States Staffing Association