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The Cost of a Healthy Workforce

Jan. 30, 2015
Failing to keep workers healthy can be a costly mistake.

Keeping a business running smoothly isn’t just about hiring the right people.

You also need to keep those workers healthy. Failing to do so can be a costly mistake.

“The health and safety of the American workforce is vital to the U.S. economy,” said L. Casey Chosewood, director of the Office for Total Worker Health at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at CDC.

Presenteesim, that is, people going to work while sick, represents nearly two-thirds of the total cost of worker illness, according to The National Health Interview Survey.

Having those employees working while sick is costing employers $150 billion to $250 billion, according to the Harvard Business Review.

Yet, as many as 38 percent of the working population in the U.S. don’t have paid sick leave, according to the National Health Interview Survey.

For even more healthy worker statistics, check out the CDC’s Healthy Workforce infographic.

About the Author

Ginger Christ | Associate Editor

Ginger Christ is an associate editor for EHS Today, a Penton publication.

She has covered business news for the past seven years, working at daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in Ohio, including the Dayton Business Journal and Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Most recently, she covered transportation and leadership for IndustryWeek, a sister publication to EHS Today.

She holds a bachelor of arts in English and in Film Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

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