| When a person is missing from work because | | | | required benefits, including Social Security, |
| they are experiencing an illness or have been | | | | Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers' |
| injured, the employing firm has a reduced | | | | compensation, which averaged $2.25 per hour (7.9 |
| workforce, which leads to a lower level of output | | | | percent); paid leave benefits (vacations, holidays, |
| and less revenue. Traditionally, people have | | | | sick leave, and personal leave), which averaged |
| thought that the cost associated with the | | | | $1.99 (7.0 percent); and supplemental pay which |
| absence of an employee was merely equal to | | | | averaged 76 cents (2.7 percent). |
| that employee's wage earnings per the number of | | | | Injured workers' compensation claims are another |
| missed workdays. Yet, it is important to take into | | | | cost that employers need to be mindful of. The |
| account other areas in the workplace that may | | | | U.S. worker's compensation system provides |
| be affected by a particular person's absence, such | | | | benefits to workers injured on the job, regardless |
| as if they are a part of a team whose ability to | | | | of fault. The costs of compensation claims and |
| complete the day's tasks will be lessened without | | | | medical coverage for injured employees added to |
| that person being present. The identification of | | | | lost productivity in business operations compound |
| potential risk factors and the planning of | | | | the severity of the impact employers experience |
| workplace injury prevention are considered by | | | | when a worker becomes injured while on the job. |
| many in management type positions to be an | | | | Workers' compensation costs have compelled |
| expensive process. However, an estimation of the | | | | employers to find ways of making job |
| level of decreased productivity a firm would | | | | accommodations for injured workers in order to |
| experience due to injured workers could do much | | | | bring down productivity losses and the number of |
| in helping management weigh the costs associated | | | | worker's compensation claims. |
| with incurring losses, or making improvements to | | | | Ergonomically designed work equipment is an |
| the work environment. In many cases, there is | | | | example of an accommodation that can be made |
| potential for the price employers pay for the | | | | for an injured worker. By increasing the use of |
| missed workdays of their employees, due to | | | | ergonomic equipment in the work place injuries |
| injury or illness, to be greater than the wages | | | | can be both avoided or if an injury has already |
| those employees would collect for those particular | | | | occurred, they can help aid the injured worker. |
| days. | | | | Ergonomic accessories have successfully been |
| Total compensation (wages and salaries and | | | | proven to help reduce common work injuries that |
| benefits) for civilian workers averaged $28.48 per | | | | occur from repetitive tasks over years of wear |
| hour worked in June 2008. Wages and salaries, | | | | and tear such as straining eye sight, back pain, |
| which averaged $19.85, accounted for 69.7 | | | | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, neck pain, and head |
| percent of these costs, while benefits, which | | | | aches. An investment in ergonomics can lead to |
| averaged $8.64, accounted for the remaining 30.3 | | | | savings in the number of sick days employees |
| percent. In addition to retirement and savings the | | | | take. The next time your company is considering |
| other benefit categories were: life, health, and | | | | how to save money in the long run, consider |
| disability insurance benefits, which averaged $2.39 | | | | ergonomics. |
| (8.4 percent of total compensation); legally | | | | |