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Musculoskeletal health in the workplace

Discover practical strategies to prevent workplace musculoskeletal injuries, support employee wellbeing and boost productivity.

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What employers can do 

As an employer, you can use these strategies to help prevent and manage MSK conditions in your workplace. 

Minimise MSK risks
  • Appoint employee wellbeing champions to promote MSK health. There are many free online resources and toolkits available to support them.  
Encourage healthy behaviours at work
  • Use wellbeing surveys to identify risks and work with employees to address them
  • Stress can cause muscle tension and unhealthy behaviours like skipping breaks. Visit our stress page to find strategies to reduce workplace stress. 
  • Maintaining a healthy weight can lower the risk of MSK conditions. Visit our Healthy Eating page to find ways to promote healthy eating in your workplace. 
Support employees with MSK conditions
  • Train managers to have open conversations about MSK conditions. This will encourage early reporting and solutions. 
  • Work with employees to review their needs and make reasonable adjustments. This could include changes to workstations, roles or schedules. 
  • Support employees to manage their conditions by allowing time for health appointments and encouraging healthy behaviours
  • Refer employees to occupational health advisers for tailored advice on workplace adjustments. Find out how In Work support services can support employees 
  • Provide specialist equipment, such as standing desks or ergonomic tools, to support employees. Explore funding options like the Access to Work grant. 

Resources

MSK webinar

Our webinar will help you to develop skills and confidence to address MSK health conditions in your organisation.

Watch now

Page last reviewed: 25th July 2025

A close up of a person receiving physiotherapy on their arm