Three in 10 have raised concerns about the risk of physical injury at work – but more than a third say there have been no changes since
Four in 10 Brits say they have risked their health at work because they could not afford to take time off, new research has revealed.
A study of 2,000 UK adults on behalf of national law firm Simpson Millar found 39% agreed they had risked their health at work because they could not afford to take time off.
The figure rises to half (50%) of 25 to 34 year olds and 49% of those aged 35 to 44, compared with 30% of people aged 55 and over.
Men were also more likely to say they had risked their health because they could not afford time off, at 42% compared with 37% of women.
In Wales, 44% said they had put their health at risk at work because they could not afford to take time off, while the figure stood at 42% in both the South East and South West.
The study also found three in 10 (30%) UK adults have raised a concern at work about the risk of physical injury, including accidents, hazards or unsafe conditions.
Men were more likely to have spoken up, with 36% saying they had raised a concern compared with 24% of women.
Four in 10 (40%) 25 to 34 year olds had raised a workplace safety concern, making them the most likely age group to have done so, compared with 23% of those aged 55 and over.
In the North West, 35% said they had raised concerns, followed by 34% in the East Midlands and around a third in both London and the West Midlands.
At city level, four in 10 (40%) people in Plymouth said they had raised a workplace safety concern, while the figure stood at 37% in Manchester and 36% in Liverpool.
But raising the alarm did not always lead to action.
Among those who had raised a concern about the risk of physical injury at work, more than a third (36%) said no changes were made as a result.
That rose to 46% in both Scotland and Yorkshire and the Humber. At city level, six in 10 (60%) people in Edinburgh who had raised a concern said no changes were made, along with 59% in Norwich.
Younger workers were also more likely to say speaking up had failed to lead to change. Among those who had raised concerns, 44% of 18 to 24 year olds and 45% of 35 to 44 year olds said nothing changed.
For those who are injured and unable to work, financial support is not guaranteed either. Among respondents who had experienced an injury affecting their ability to work, one in four (25%) said they received no financial support.
Matthew Trusch in the Personal Injury team at Simpson Millar, said: “Nobody should feel they have to put their health at risk simply because they can’t afford to take time away from work, but these figures show that is already happening.
“It’s also worrying to see people raising concerns about physical risks at work and feeling that nothing changed afterwards. Employees need to be able to flag something they believe is unsafe and know that it will be properly looked at.
“Employers have responsibilities when it comes to keeping people safe at work. Accidents will happen, but there is a difference between an unavoidable accident and somebody being injured because a known risk wasn’t dealt with or reasonable steps weren’t taken to protect them.
“If someone is injured at work because of another person’s negligence, they may be able to make a personal injury claim. That can include compensation for the injury as well as financial losses such as time away from work and the cost of treatment or rehabilitation.”