Health Risks and Occupational Safety

Much has been written about the relationships between health conditions and the risk of a workers' compensation (WC) claims.

A new study co-authored by Kim Jinnett in her role as IBI's EVP suggests that some health conditions may place women at a higher risk of future claims—but play a smaller role for men.

For example, a woman with a behavioral health condition is 63% more likely to have a future WC claim than a woman without a behavioral health condition. By contrast, men with a behavioral health condition are only 8% more likely to have a WC claim compared to their peers without such conditions. The same pattern is observed for headaches.

The practical implication is that a clearer view of a workforce's overall health profile could help risk managers better anticipate and prepare for their claims volume. In turn, the potential to mitigate WC losses could help bolster efforts to connect at-risk employees with preventive and remedial care.