A recent study on the work status of employees who filed claims for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) has found that 65 percent of claimants return to work after the claim, but without any ergonomics improvements to the work environment.
Over 700 workers were eligible for the study that had a 70 percent participation rate (514 workers). Study participants had all filed a workers compensation claim for an MSD in 1996 in the Pays de la Loire region of France.
Through a questionnaire, participants indicated that two years after filing a workers compensation claim, most of the claimants had returned to work, 12 percent of the claimants had either retired or left their employment voluntarily, and 18 percent of the workers had been dismissed. The study found that factors contributing to dismissal included being 45 years old or older, filing workers compensation claims for two or more MSDs, and working in a cleaning services sector.
Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine