Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Absenteeism Costs Arising from Musculoskeletal Disorders: Discussion

3:00 pm

Mr. John Church:

Absolutely. This is obviously a matter that we have considered. We have examined all the case studies and histories. Each one represents a net gain. Currently, nothing is happening with intervention. There is an intervention cost and we have examined it. The reason we have included employers and employees, as pointed out by the Vice Chairman, is so we can discuss these issues. Clearly, there is a desire not to burden employers any further. Private health insurers are also part of the coalition. There are solutions and we are working on them. Dr. Ryan would be working on similar solutions. We are trying to weigh the benefit of bringing somebody back to work early against the cost. The model we are working on at present is based on a cost per head, which could very well be absorbed into a company's health insurance policy. There may be some costs for the employer. We are discussing this with IBEC. Ultimately, we see this as an investment, not a cost. It is an investment in the employers' businesses.