The Impact of Back Pain on Sickness Absence in Europe

a research paper from The Work Foundation (part of Lancaster University) by Professor Stephen Bevan published June 2012

Opening paragraphs

Back pain is one of the most common conditions reported by adults across Europe. In fact, it is estimated that half of the European population will suffer back pain at some time in their lives and in excess of a third of the European workforce suffer from low back pain. In fact, the latest survey of workers from across the EU suggests that 46% of women and 47% and men reported back pain at some time in the last 12 months. Thus, it is a condition which regularly affects:

• 14.2m Germans
• 9.6m Britons
• 8m French people
• 6.4m Spaniards
• <5m Poles
• 1m Danes

We know, then, that back pain is common, episodic, often recurrent and generally self-limiting. Long term absence from work is greatest amongst the minority of employees whose condition is chronic (if pain lasts for more than 12 weeks) or is recurrent (if there are several episodes of pain in one year lasting less than 6six months).

Continue reading the full report (PDF 8pp)

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We need a fundamental change if we are to arm our college leavers with the skills to succeed

Fintan Donohue (chief executive of Gazelle Global and principal and CEO of North Hertfordshire College) via FE News

The Work Foundation report, Lost in transition? The changing labour market and young people not in employment, education or training, states that 450,000 Neets have never had a regular job. The report reaches the the same conclusion as many others over the last decade, that young people trying to get on the first rung of the employment ladder don't have the depth or breadth of experience that they require in this changing economic climate.

Read the FE News article here and the full report by Paul Sissons and Katy Jones (PDF 48pp) here.

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