Building a Culture of Movement: Reducing MSK Costs at Work
The MSK Culture Shift
“Throwing benefits or digital programs at staff without a supportive culture will fall flat.”
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are consistently ranked among the top three healthcare costs for employers.¹ They drive direct medical spending, absenteeism, present-but-distracted-in-pain, and lost productivity. It’s no surprise that we’re seeing many organizations investing in programs to reduce MSK burden such as gym stipends, digital apps, physio and massage benefits.
But here’s the problem: tools don’t change behavior on their own.
Think about it this way: it’s hard to quit drinking if you keep going to the bar. The environment, the culture, and the people, pull you back into old patterns. In the workplace, the same principle applies. If leadership hands out fitness stipends but keeps junk food in the vending machines while pushing a culture that rewards long hours at a desk, on the manufacturing floor, or behind the wheel, employees will default to the environment they’re given. The result? Sedentary habits stick, repetitive strain injuries continue, and movement never becomes a priority.
Throwing benefits, physical perks, or digital programs at staff without a supportive culture of health awareness, guidance, and leadership modeling the healthy behaviors expected of staff, will fall flat.
Why Culture Matters
Behavior change doesn’t happen in isolation. Research shows that social and environmental cues are the strongest predictors of habit adoption.² If the “norm” in a workplace is powering through back pain, eating lunch at the desk or in the truck, and glorifying overwork, then no amount of benefits will undo that signal.
On the flip side, when companies normalize self-care, movement breaks, and leaders are openly investing in their own health, employees will feel that it is safe to follow suit. That shift in behaviour not only reduces MSK incidences but also boosts morale, employee retention, and trust.
The Business Case
Here’s where it gets even more compelling: companies that invest in preventive movement health and actively create cultures of support see enormous returns.
Lower MSK costs: Employers who proactively fund preventive MSK benefits, like physiotherapy, guided exercise, or ergonomic support, spend less downstream on medical claims.³
Higher productivity: Employees free of chronic pain are more focused, less likely to miss work, and more likely to stay engaged.
Recruitment & retention: A culture of health is increasingly part of the employee value proposition. Benefits without culture feel transactional; benefits embedded in culture feel authentic.
Put simply, building a culture of movement and health is one of the few strategies that improves employee experience and financial outcomes simultaneously.
Where to Start
If you’re an employer or HR manager, here are a few practical steps:
Lead from the top: When leadership demonstrates health practices, whether that’s taking walking meetings, investing in personal training, or simply normalizing rest, employees notice.
Design the environment: Make healthy behaviors the path of least resistance (e.g., visible standing desks, stretch breaks after meetings, accessible resources for pain management).
Celebrate health, not just hustle: Recognize and reward employees who model balanced, sustainable work practices or have reduced pain and injury by engaging in the cultural practices.
Final Word
MSK costs are high and continue rising and we know programs alone won’t solve the problem. But when employers create environments where healthy behaviors are encouraged, modeled, and celebrated, the results go far beyond reducing pain, they build more resilient, productive, and loyal workforces.
Time and time again we see stats that support it is worth the time and intention required to build a culture of health.
References
KFF (2023). Employer Health Benefits Survey.
Neal, D., Wood, W., & Quinn, J. (2006). Habits—A Repeat Performance. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 198–202.
Burton, W.N., Pransky, G., Conti, D.J., Chen, C.Y., & Edington, D.W. (2004). The association of medical conditions and presenteeism. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(Suppl 6), S38–S45.
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