Expert In Injury Management Commends NZ Approach

Media Release
15 September 2009

International Expert In Injury Management Commends NZ Approach But Issues Warning

Dr Jennifer Christian, a physician expert in managing injured and ill people in the workplace, has commended New Zealand’s push to encourage injured workers to keep working during their recuperation. She also warned that failure to do so could have serious consequences for the workers and the country.

Dr Christian, who is hosted in New Zealand by ACC, warned doctors of the massive flow on effects of advising unnecessary time off work for their patients. “Not only does a bit of time off work upset the productivity of the workplace, and the overall economy, it has a very serious effect on the person who is injured.”

Dr Christian quoted American research that shows that a person who does not return to work within three months has only a 50% chance of ever returning. After a year the likelihood of going back to work falls to 1 to 2%.

New Zealand studies show a similar trend. In July 2005 a research paper completed by Statistics New Zealand, the Department of Labour and the Treasury confirmed that injuries resulting in more than two months of weekly compensation have negative effects on individuals’ future employment.

Compared with non-injured workers, individuals who had received four months of weekly compensation from ACC had lower employment rates, higher welfare benefit receipt rates and lower monthly incomes when surveyed six months after being injured.

“People begin to fear going back to work and then it’s a slippery slide to a life without the fulfilment of work. Not only does this take a big toll on the individual, but when you have thousands of people in this position, it takes a pretty significant toll on the national economy too. Lack of productivity and the cost of income replacement through ACC or the benefit combine to have a very negative impact on the financial position of a country.”

Overall, Dr Christian thought that New Zealand was doing well in terms of implementing plans to make it easier for both employers and employees to remain at work. She put this down to programmes like ACC’s ‘Better at Work’ and Stay at Work’ initiatives, and the benefit of having a smaller population, which makes implementing change easier.

ENDS

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