An insurance company has issued a stark warning to employers after it revealed more than half of Britons injured at work have taken legal action against their employers.
In addition, Royal Sun Alliance (RSA) said a third of those injured at work have taken claims to their trade union, which 14% have made complaints to their line manager.
The issue will affect most businesses at one time, said the company, after the survey found that almost 12 million people have suffered from an illness or injury caused by their job in the last year, while 36 million days were lost in 2006 and 2007 due to injury or sickness caused in the workplace.
Nearly one in five of those injured in the workplace have taken between one and six months to recover, while nearly 200,000 workers said they had to leave work permanently.
Colin Bradbury, underwriting director at RSA, warned businesses of the important of risk management in safeguarding employees’ health.
“These figures show a significant number of injuries and illnesses are being incurred in the workplace,” he said.
“If there are team members missing or unable to take part in decisions, this can only have a negative effect on the business and involve the company in significant costs.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008
