Intel Corp. has cut the average missed-work time for an ill or injured employee by 69% -- from 17 days to 5.2 days -- since 1994, when the company began measuring average lost-work time for illness or injury. The dollar impact: significant. Intel estimates that its hourly cost to support an injured or ill worker -- cost of treatment, loss of productivity, and training for a replacement employee -- is about $300 per hour.
Intel has used a variety of programs to achieve the reduction. Every major U.S. Intel facility now has a fitness or recreation center tailored to each site that is managed by occupational-health nurses. The nurses also provide case management of injuries, illnesses, and work with managers, safety engineers, and industrial hygienists to remove conditions that might contribute to injuries or illnesses.