Most workplace injuries are obvious: a fall, a heavy lift gone wrong. But the most common and costly workplace injury? You might not even see it.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for 60% of all work-related injuries, yet they remain among the most underreported—especially in office and hybrid work settings. According to Safe Work Australia, this is partly due to the difficulty of linking gradual-onset pain to a single incident, which is often a requirement for compensation claims [1].

Many employees don’t speak up about discomfort until it becomes debilitating. Why? Because pain has become normalised in modern desk-based work.

The Silent Epidemic of Sedentary Work-Related Pain

Unlike acute injuries, musculoskeletal pain develops over time from prolonged sitting, poor workstation setups, or repetitive movements. While not dramatic, the effects are just as damaging.

The real danger? By the time an employee reports discomfort, it’s often too late.

Early intervention is crucial to preventing long-term disability. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that an intervention program to reduce recent-onset MSDs improved short- and long-term functionality, reducing the number of patients with a permanent work disability by 50%. The program was most effective within the first two months [2].

Why Office Workers Don’t Report Pain Until It’s Severe

Workers often assume pain is normal. Many believe aches and pains are just part of the job—especially lower back, neck, and wrist discomfort.

Workers are afraid to be seen as high-maintenance. In competitive workplaces, employees may avoid mentioning pain, fearing it signals weakness or low resilience.

Workers expect pain to go away. Early discomfort is often dismissed, but ignoring it allows minor strain to develop into chronic pain.

Workers are unaware of the connection. Many employees don’t link their pain to workstation ergonomics until symptoms become severe.

According to a study in Heliyon, employees with more working experience are significantly affected by MSDs, possibly due to years of exposure to risk factors and muscle tension [3].

In normalising pain, we’ve unintentionally built cultures that reward silence over self-care—and that’s costing us more than we think.

The Cost of Ignoring Pain in Office & Hybrid Work

Workplace pain creates a ripple effect, impacting not just the employee but the organisation as a whole:

Presenteeism: Employees working through pain aren’t performing at full capacity, leading to reduced productivity and higher error rates.
Increased sick leave: Pain-related absences are longer and more frequent than other types of absences.
Long-term disability: When MSDs are left unaddressed, they become one of the leading causes of long-term disability among desk-based workers [4].

A study in Critical Public Health noted that Australia spends $9.2 billion on healthcare costs for MSDs, with the annual productivity loss estimated at $7.4 billion [5]. That figure reflects not just healthcare costs, but the accumulated impact of inaction.

Breaking the Cycle: Encouraging Early Reporting & Prevention in Office Work

To reduce workplace pain, organisations must shift from reactive to proactive strategies:

Normalise early discomfort reporting – Employees should feel safe to speak up before pain becomes chronic.
Ergonomic assessments as routine, not reactionary – Too often, ergonomic solutions are only provided after an injury is reported.
Redesign workspaces for hybrid flexibility – Employees switching between home and office setups need consistent ergonomic support.
Foster a culture of movement – Encourage posture variation, regular movement breaks, and flexible workstations.

A study by Prall and Ross (2019) in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that ergonomic interventions and workplace physical therapy decreased work-related MSDs and improved workers’ productivity [6].

The Bottom Line: Prevention Is the Best Investment

Musculoskeletal pain is preventable. Office workers shouldn’t have to push through pain in silence, and organisations can’t afford to ignore the warning signs. The earlier pain is addressed, the less likely it is to become a long-term issue.

Comfort isn’t a luxury—it’s a prerequisite for performance.

An important question we must then ask ourselves is: are we treating musculoskeletal pain as an individual problem—or recognising it as an organisational responsibility?

References

Safe Work Australia, (2016). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Abásolo et al., (2005). Annals of Internal Medicine.
Demissie et al., (2024). Heliyon.
World Health Organization, (2022). Musculoskeletal conditions.
Jones et al., (2024). Critical Public Health.
Prall and Ross, (2019). Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation.