August 21, 2006
Did you know...?
Increased absenteeism and reduced productivity due to allergies cost U.S. companies more than $250 million a year, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). For more than 36 million Americans who suffer from allergies, August marks the unofficial start of ragweed season. Fall can be more troublesome than spring for many allergy sufferers.
A recent study of 40 U.S. employers found that employers lost more than $5 million in one year due to workers with allergies. Compared with other common, chronic health conditions in the study, allergies caused the highest costs for employee absenteeism ($1,537,364), lost productivity at work due to illness ($3,396,291) and total productivity loss for employers ($4,933,655), costing an average of $597 per-employee, per-year, significantly more than stress ($518), depression ($273) and anxiety ($250). Care giving by employees for children with allergies also impacted employers' bottom lines, resulting in total productivity losses of $701,502 ($351,722 due to absenteeism, $349,730 due to presenteeism).
According to the data, allergic rhinitis was the most prevalent health condition in the workplace with more than half (55 percent) of employees reporting symptoms. Specifically, employees who reported allergy symptoms:
- Suffered an average of 52.5 days per year but only took 3.56 sick days due to allergic rhinitis.
- Lost 2.3 hours of productivity per day (113 hours per year) when experiencing symptoms at work.
Employers can help alleviate allergens at work by keeping the workplace smoke free, providing fresh air ventilation, not allowing pets in the office, avoiding using carpets and other synthetic surfaces that give off chemicals, cleaning up dust as much as possible, and encouraging employees to wash their hands frequently.
Using safe medications, employees can treat their allergies effectively and feel - and perform - better at work Treating allergies with antihistamines can cause sedation or lack of attention, and on the flip side decongestants can cause employees to feel nervous, anxious or inattentive. Employees with allergies should consult their primary care physician for a referral to an allergist for more individualized treatment of their allergies.
To learn more about allergies and to access a fall allergy guide, point your browser to: http://www.aaaai.org/.
To learn more about OHS-COMPCARE contact our Client Services Team at (816) 561-2105 or by e-mail at customerservice@ohscompcare.com. You can also visit us at www.ohscompcare.com.
*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*
OHS-COMPCARE has eight (8) area clinical facilities:
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Blue Springs Clinical Facility |
Independence Clinical Facility |
Johnson County Clinical Facility |
St. Joseph Clinical Facility |
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801 NW St. Mary’s Drive |
17020 East 40 Highway |
10415 Lackman Road |
904 Edmond Street |
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Blue Springs, MO 64104 |
Independence, MO 64055 |
Lenexa, KS 66219 |
St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
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816-224-9121 |
816-478-9299 |
913-495-9905 |
816-233-7702 |
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*New Extended Hours* |
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KCMO/Broadway Clinical Facility |
KCMO/Front Street Clinical Facility |
Wyandotte County Clinical Facility |
Grandview Clinical Facility |
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1650 Broadway |
6501 East Commerce, Suite 110 |
1333 Meadowlark Lane, Suite 200 |
13830 S Us Highway 71 |
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Kansas City, MO 64108 |
Kansas City, MO 64120 |
Kansas City, KS 66102 |
Grandview, MO 64030 |
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816-842-2020 |
816-483-5550 |
913-596-2774 |
***opening Fall 2006*** |