Line Managers
Back pain not only affects individuals, but also organisations. Back pain is the second most common reason for sick leave, resulting in a considerable burden to companies. Missing a member of your team can have a large impact on the functioning of the whole team and controlling back pain at work should therefore be a priority for all team leaders and managers. Fortunately there are a number of things you can do to reduce the risks of your team members developing back pain and to help them with staying at or returning to work when they experience back pain.You can read the whole text or jump to specific sections by clicking on the titles below:
- What you should know about back pain
- Preventing back pain in your team
- Controlling back pain in your team
Back pain is the name of a symptom that can originate from a range of different conditions. Some of these conditions are very well known while in other cases it is difficult to establish where the pain comes from. Irrespective of what the underlying cause of the pain is, in most cases we know what to do to control the pain, including the role of work in an effective management regime. However in some cases there may be specific guidance from the GP or other healthcare professional who is treating your team member. It is important to follow such guidance if it is available.
In the majority of persons with back pain, the pain does not originate from any serious medical condition. Moreover most persons will find that their back pain disappears within days or weeks. The information below is particularly applicable to those persons who may experience short bouts of back pain. In some cases, especially when the pain is severe and persistent, other measures may be necessary. An occupational health professional or a GP is probably in the best position to advise you in these circumstances.
While back pain can have a large impact on someone’s ability to do a certain job, it is important to realise that in most cases back pain is not caused by work. However irrespective of what caused the pain, it is very crucial to find ways of dealing with back pain.
Preventing back pain in your team
Back pain is a very common condition but there are a number of things you, as a manager, can do to reduce the risks of your team members developing back pain. For employees doing much manual handling it is important to use aids and use correct techniques to reduce the risk of injuries when performing these tasks for prolonged periods of time. See XXXX for more information on manual handling and back pain. Similarly for office workers who spend long periods behind their computer it is important to make sure that their workspace is set up following the available guidelines. See XXXX for more information on desk workers and back pain.
However just providing manual handling aids or ergonomically set up work stations may not be enough to prevent back pain. There are a number of other measures that you, as a manager, can take that can further reduce the risk of back pain becoming a problem for your team.
Research has shown that stress is one of the factors that can increase the risk of developing back pain. While we all may experience stress at some stage, stress should not negatively influence our well-being. As a line-manager you are probably in the best position to monitor this in your employees. Other aspects to monitor may include job satisfaction and depression since these have also been linked with an increased risk of back pain.
Controlling back pain in your team
Because back pain is such a common condition in Western societies, the chances are that at some stage your team members will experience back pain. In the vast majority of cases this will not affect their ability to do their job, but some may need extra support to enable them to remain at work. Furthermore the same measures may also be useful when a team member has been sick-listed because of back pain and wants to return to work.
Such measures may include:
- Changes to the duties and activities of the employee.
Identify what activities the employee finds difficult to perform due to their back pain and find alternative ways of doing them or ask the employee to do other duties for a limited period of time.
- Changes to the working hours.
Some employees with back pain may find that after a few hours of work their back pain and discomfort increases. You may be able to come up with alternative working hours.
- Good use of breaks.
Repetitive work may exacerbate existing back pain and it may therefore be beneficial to make sure employees can take regular breaks from repetitive work. Some people with back pain find that doing regular stretches or going for a walk helps them with managing back pain.
- Input from occupational health professionals, including ergonomists.
Research has shown that a comprehensive ergonomic assessment may be especially useful for employees who are experiencing back pain. Furthermore occupational health providers may be able to give further advice on specific employees.