The Health Benefits of Good Work For most people, working improves general health and wellbeing as well as reducing psychological distress. There have been numerous studies that have shown that people who return to work in a timely manner often end up with a shorter recovery time – and vice versa. The longer you have off work, then the longer it can take to return to work. More specifically, an Australian Position Statement on the health benefits of good work outlined that if a worker is away from work for a work related injury for: 20 days then the likelihood of return to work is 70% 45 days then the likelihood of return to work is 50% 70 days then the likelihood of return to work is 35%
How can good work benefit you?
Ensuring that some meaningful physical activity is undertaken during the time you are working
Facilitating social inclusion and a sense of belonging with your colleagues and/or customers
Positive feelings of contribution to your family and society
Feeding a healthy and positive routine Decreasing the likelihood that an individual will engage in risky behaviours
You don’t have to wait until you are fully fit and painfree before you return to work. You can work with your Workplace Rehabilitation Provider or Employer to develop a return to work plan whereby you can gradually return to meaningful work over a period of time with steady increases to your work hours and duties as you recover and start to feel better. This should be run together with your exercise program, as both will assist in your recovery and increase your physical work conditioning to allow you to return to your normal duties quicker.
The evidence shows us that:
Work should be an important part of your rehabilitation
The longer you are off work, the less chance you have of returning
Waiting for full recovery will actually delay the recovery and decrease your chances of returning to work
Staying away from work may lead to psychological and emotional distress with feelings of depression, anxiety, stress and isolation
References: The Royal Australasian College of Physicians. (2015). Realising the health benefits of work – An evidence update. The Australasian Faculty of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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