Part one of a  three-part series from WorkWell on the strategic, financial, and cultural dimensions of workplace safety and musculoskeletal (MSK) health.

It’s a tale of two leaders.

 On one side of town, Maria is stuck in reaction mode. Her week is filled with calls about new injury claims, compliance reviews, and rising costs. A back strain on Monday, a shoulder sprain on Wednesday. Each one means overtime, lost productivity, and another hit to her budget. Maria cares deeply about her employees, but she feels trapped—always responding to problems after they happen. 

 Across town, David’s story looks very different. His jobs are just as physical, his workforce just as busy. But instead of reviewing incident reports, he looks at prevention dashboards: discomfort reports that were resolved early, onsite musculoskeletal (MSK) clinic usage, and employee feedback about how easy it is to access help. David still has challenges, but injuries don’t dictate his time—or his bottom line.

Two leaders. Two paths.

Why Their Outcomes Diverged

The difference wasn’t luck. It was strategy.

• Maria’s path: 80% of her safety budget goes toward claims and time completing compliance paperwork. Prevention efforts are underfunded, and her team pays the price.
• David’s path: He chose to invest in prevention and early intervention. His company built functional job descriptions, implemented post-offer testing, and offered onsite MSK care so workers could get help before a small ache turned into a costly injury.

 The impact was clear: within two years, David’s company cut MSK injuries nearly in half, lowered turnover, and built a culture where employees felt safe to speak up. 

The Leadership Lens

For leaders, the question is simple:

• Do we keep spending millions on reactive costs that don’t create value?
• Or, do we redirect those dollars into strategies that protect employees, strengthen culture, and safeguard the bottom line?

 The financial stakes are enormous.  According to the Liberty Mutual 2025 Safety Index, workplace musculoskeletal injuries cost U.S. employers nearly $59 billion every year.  Most of those dollars go to treating injuries after they’ve already happened — costs that could have been prevented with early action. 

The WorkWell Difference

At  WorkWell, we help leaders move from Maria’s cycle of reaction to David’s culture of prevention. Our approach combines proven strategies that protect workers and deliver ROI: 

• Post-Offer Testing – ensuring employees are physically matched to job demands
• Onsite MSK Clinics – making care visible and accessible right at work 
• Early Intervention Programs – resolving discomfort before it escalates into injury y.

The outcome:  fewer injuries, healthier employees, and measurable cost savings.

The Choice Ahead

Every leader faces this fork in the road. You can continue down the well-worn path of reaction—or choose the proactive route that prevents injuries before they happen.

Which leader do you want to be?