More job control, fewer sickies
The study found the best way to prevent staff taking long periods of time off work was to give employees a sense of empowerment and ensure their GP followed up with them after their first appointment. Image: The University of Sydney Employees take fewer sickies if they have more control over their jobs, according to a new study.As Western Australia struggles with a skilled labour shortage, a researcher and orthopaedic surgeon has published important findings on long work absences due to lower back pain.Associate Professor Markus Melloh, from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and The University of Western Australia, was lead author on the internationally collaborative report: "Predictors of Sickness Absence with a New Episode of Lower Back Pain in Primary Care".He found the best way to prevent long absences from work (up to six months) due to lower back pain was to give employees a sense of empowerment and...