Work Injuries Keep People Out Longer Than Other Injuries

Researchers looked at records from the Institute of Occupational and Sports Medicine in the Republic of Srpska for the year 2024. They examined 2,075 people who were off work for more than a month due to injury. Almost half of those cases, 46.2 percent, happened on the job. The rest, 53.8 percent, came from injuries that occurred outside of work.

The time people stayed off work was longer when the injury was job‑related. On average, occupational injuries led to 91.1 days of sick leave, while non‑occupational injuries led to 78.4 days. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Older workers, especially those aged 51 or above, tended to have the longest absences regardless of injury type.