US businesses face costlier workplace injuries on top of labor shortages
Concerns around tariffs and their impact on supply chains are rising. But volatile trade policy doesn’t just impact material resources, it influences how companies manage their workforce.
For many large US businesses, tariffs can have cascading effects on labor, operations, and ultimately, the safety and insurability of their employees.
Higher tariffs on imported medical equipment and pharmaceuticals can directly increase the cost of treating workplace injuries, impacting workers’ compensation claims.
At the same time, tariffs could drive up operational costs and put businesses in a hiring crunch. As a result, employers may ask workers to work longer hours, operate under tighter deadlines, or perform unfamiliar tasks, all of which increase the likelihood of workplace accidents.
According to Jeff Cole, AVP of national accounts at Sentry Insurance, these economic pressures stem from a tangled…