Fit for Work?Maximising Employment & Social Inclusion in the EU

The Case of Workers with Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

Stephen BevanThe Work Foundation & Lancaster UniversityFounding President, Fit for Work Europe Coalition

A Fit for Work Coalition Briefing Paper October 2011

Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Barrier to Employment & Social Inclusion?

For almost five years, the ‘Fit for Work’ initiative has focused on the steps needed to ensurethat EU citizens of working age are supported in playing a full part in the labour market evenif they have a long-term or chronic health condition or disability. We have concentrated onthe very significant burden of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) because they have such anoverwhelming impact on the employment and social inclusion of millions of EU workers andon the productivity of EU Member States.Our 2009 research

highlighted, for example, that:1. Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are the leading cause of disability and inactivityamong Europe’s working-age population;2. 100 million European citizens suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain;3. MSDs caused by work affect over 40 million EU workers;4. MSDs account for 49 per cent of workplace absence and 60 per cent of permanentincapacity to work;5. MSDs result in more sickness absence than any other condition – even mentalhealth, though perhaps 1 in 5 workers with an MSD also suffer from a mental healthcondition

;6. MSDs represent a huge cost to European countries: the European Commissionestimates at least 240 billion Euros per year;7. MSDs have a significant effect on the quality of life and economic well-being ofworkers;8. The impact of work-related incapacity caused by MSDs is felt by governments andsociety through increased spending on health and social security and increased riskof long-term unemployment and social exclusion.The burden of MSDs represents a significant under-utilisation of the productive capacity ofMember States and increases the risk that, during a period of high unemployment, a highproportion of these citizens will be excluded from the labour market as a result of theirhealth. As the European Commission’s Health Strategy argues:

Bevan, S Quadrello, T, McGee, R, Mahdon, M, Vavrovsky, A and Barham, L

Fit for Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders in the European Workforce

, The Work Foundation, London (September 2009)

See Ashby K and McGee R,

Body and Soul: Exploring the connection between physical and mental healthconditions,

The Work Foundation, 2010.http://www.theworkfoundation.com/research/publications/publicationdetail.aspx?oItemId=260&parentPageID=102&PubType= (Accessed 14 October, 2011).

‘Health is important for the wellbeing of individuals and society, but a healthy population is also a prerequisite for economic productivity and prosperity

’.

‘Fit for Work’ research

has demonstrated that if the economic activity of that proportion ofthe EU’s working age population which has a long-term health condition is to be maximised,

it will be important that national healthcare systems, welfare systems andemployment policy support early interventions, job retention and return to workinitiatives

. Yet, in most member states, it is rare to find social policy, active labour marketpolicy and health policy working coherently to support and maximise labour marketparticipation among people with health conditions or disabilities. A growing body of evidencesuggests that targeted investment in policies to promote job retention and return to work canbe both cost effective and contribute to wider social inclusion goals.

MSDs in the EU – Is the Picture Improving?

The Third Annual ‘Fit for Work’ Summit, held in Brussels in October 2011, is a timelylandmark as it allows us to assess the latest data on MSDs in Member States and todetermine how national governments might respond during a period of high unemployment.MSDs are still having a significant impact of quality of life and labour market participation:

•

MSDs account for 3.2 per cent of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost amongmen across the EU-27 and 5.5 percent of DALYs lost among women;

•

Rheumatoid Arthritis accounts for 0.84 per cent of DALYs lost across the EU;

•

Over 25 per cent of the EU working population report work-related backache.

MSD Prevalence and Costs in EU Member States

Our national reports have highlighted the significant and continuing burden of MSDs acrossthe whole of the European Union. For full details and for all of the completed NationalReports, visit theFit for Work Europewebsite.

Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013, Brussels, 23.10.2007, COM(2007),http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/doc/whitepaper_en.pdf (accessed 8 October 2011)

Bevan, S Quadrello, T, McGee, R, Mahdon, M, Vavrovsky, A and Barham, L

Fit for Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders in the European Workforce

, The Work Foundation, London (September 2009)http://www.fitforworkeurope.eu/Default.aspx.LocID-0afnew009.RefLocID-0af002.Lang-EN.htm

Bevan S,

The Business Case for Employee Health and Well-being

, Investors in People UK, 2010