How Work-Related Injuries Can Impact Your Business's Turnover Rate?

What's your business's turnover rate? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual turnover rate among U.S. businesses is about 47%. For every two employees whom you hire, for instance, you can expect to lose one of them within a year.

Some employees will inevitably quit. Maybe an employee wants to pursue a different career, or perhaps an employee is relocating out of state. Regardless, you can't expect to keep all of your business's employees forever. A high rate of work-related injuries, however, can lead to a high turnover rate that compels employees to quit.

Task Shifting

One of the ways that work-related injuries can affect your business's turnover rate is task shifting. Task shifting is exactly what it sounds like: the shifting or moving of tasks between employees. Employees who typically perform a particular task may be assigned a completely different task.

When work-related injuries occur, employees may have to take time off work. Injured employees may have to spend time at the hospital or at home to recover. Even then, they may not be able to perform their "normal" tasks at work. You can shift the injured employees' tasks to other tasks, but it may come at the cost of a higher turnover rate.

Lower Morale

A high rate of work-related injuries can lead to lower morale. It fosters a negative attitude among employees. Employees expect the businesses for which they work to keep them safe from injuries and illnesses. After all, it's the employer's job to provide their employees with a safe working environment.

If your business has a high rate of work-related injuries, it may create a lower morale among employees. Your business's employees may perceive their job negatively, which may compel them to quit. You can create a positive morale among your business's employees by emphasizing safety.

Less Engagement

Another way that work-related injuries can impact your business's turnover rate is by promoting less engagement. Work-related injuries will lower employees' engagement levels. Injuries, of course, can take a toll on employees. They can cause physical pain, emotional pain, stress and even financial loss. All of these effects can lead to lower levels of engagement.

Less engagement, in turn, may compel employees to quit. There's a correlation between engagement and turnover in the workplace. When employees aren't engaged, they are more likely to quit. Highly engaged employees, on the other hand, are less likely to quit.