Key Facts:
- Work-related pain starts early: 85% of currently working women have experienced work-related pain in the past 12 months (men 79%), including 92% of working women aged 18 to 24.
- Cost of living is a barrier to recovery: the cost of living has stopped 54% of working women with work-related pain from taking time off to let an injury heal (men 36%), and job security concerns have stopped 46% (men 34%).
- Pushing through: 50% of working women with pain regularly keep working when they feel they should rest (men 37%).
- Managing pain alone: 71% of women with work-related pain have at least one condition that hasn't been diagnosed or treated (men 57%). 34% rely on over-the-counter medication (men 22%), and only 49% have seen a GP (men 58%).
- Staying silent: 43% of women with pain have never told their employer (men 37%).
- Mental health toll: women with work-related pain are more likely than men to say it often or always contributes to frustration or irritability (29% vs 20%), anxiety (25% vs 18%) and depression or feeling low (21% vs 14%).
- National data: Safe Work Australia figures released last week show women made 42.5% of serious workers' compensation claims in 2024-25, up 6.2 percentage points in a decade. Women also lose more time per serious claim (a median of 9.0 weeks vs 8.0 for men). Musculoskeletal injuries and diseases make up more than half (53%) of all serious claims.
MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 21 October 2026 WORKSPACE WEEK 19-25 OCTOBER 2026
Cost of living keeps women in pain at work: New survey finds 54% can't afford to take time off for work-related injury to heal
A new national survey to evaluate the impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) or injuries on Australian workers released for national WorkSpace Week 2026 (19-25 October), found that women were more likely than men to experience WMSD pain and injury; were less likely to seek treatment, and more likely to "push through pain".
The national survey, Impact of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders or Injuries on Australians 2026 of 1,056 participants, commissioned by the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) and conducted by independent research firm Pureprofile, found that the gap between women and men reporting WMSD pain or injury has widened since 2023.
The Pureprofile 2026 survey of Australians who've worked at some point in their lives (current workers, retirees and others not currently in paid work), found that since 2023, women experiencing WMSD pain or injury increased from 76% to 79% compared to a decrease in men, down from 77% to 73%, while 87% of women currently working reported experiencing WMSD pain or injury compared to 80% of men.
The survey determined that WMSD pain starts earlier for women with 92% of working women aged 18 to 24, and 85% of women aged 25 to 30 reporting experiencing WMSD pain or injury compared to 66% of men in the same age bracket.
Working fewer hours offers no protection for women with 91% of women working part-time reporting experiencing WMSD pain - equal to women working full-time (91%) well above men (76%) working part-time.
Dr Ali Young, ACA Chair of Women in Chiropractic said, "Financial pressure is playing a big role in women's decisions to manage their health.
"54% of working women with pain said the cost of living had prevented them from taking time off to let an injury heal, compared to 36% of men, while 46% of women said job security concerns prevented them from taking time off compared to 34% of men."
The Pureprofile survey findings were released as Safe Work Australia (SWA) published the Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2026 (October 2026) reporting that musculoskeletal injuries and diseases make up the majority (53%) of serious workers' compensation claims with health care and social assistance an industry where women make up much of the workforce, accounting for the largest share of serious claims (20.9%).
The SWA data shows that in 2024-25, women made up 42.5% (62,100) of Australia's 147,200 serious workers' compensation claims - women's share rising 6.2 percentage points over the past decade and from the age of 45, the serious claim rate for women was higher than men.
Women also lost more time per serious claim, with a median of 9.0 weeks off work compared to 8.0 weeks for men (SWA 2023-24).
However, the Pureprofile survey shows that women are staying silent with 43% reporting they'd never disclosed their WMSD pain to their employer compared to 37% of men; while 56% reported they were too busy to take movement breaks during work hours to help minimise WMSDs compared to 48% of men; and 13% said they worried that taking breaks would make them look less productive compared to 8% of men.
Women were also less likely to make ergonomic changes to the way they work with only 9% of women with pain making ergonomic adjustments compared to 16% of men, and 31% said they did not ask their employer for ergonomic improvements.
The survey also found that women were more likely to have experienced work-related headaches or migraines than men (66% vs 55%), and neck or shoulder pain (66% vs 57%), and 23% of women experience headaches regularly, compared to 13% of men.
"Untreated pain was more common among women for every major pain type, including back pain (45% vs 33%), neck or shoulder pain (49% vs 38%), and headaches or migraines (55% vs 46%)," Dr Young said.
"Of concern is that 34% of women with work-related pain said they rely on over-the-counter medication for pain compared to 22% of men; only 49% said they'd seen a GP compared to 58% of men, and 71% had at least one condition that had not been diagnosed or treated compared to 57% of men."
"With many women managing pain themselves rather than seeking professional medical diagnosis and treatment, they risk turning a manageable WMSD into a chronic condition with long-term implications to their health and overall quality of life," she said.
The emotional toll of WMSDs on women was also evident with women reporting that they're more likely than men to say that their pain often or always contributed to frustration or irritability (29% vs 20%), anxiety (25% vs 18%) and depression or feeling low (21% vs 14%).
With mental health conditions accounting for 17.5% of women's serious workers' compensation claims (more than double that of men at 8.2%), mental stress can also impact workers physically leading to a vicious cycle with WMSDs becoming chronic which in turn increases depressive symptoms that then exacerbates WMSDs.
If undiagnosed and untreated, WMSDs can develop into chronic MSDs (pain that lasts more than three months) posing painful long-term implications for workers, their families, their employers' bottom line and the economy.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data shows 30.8% of women live with a chronic musculoskeletal condition, compared to 26.8% of men, with musculoskeletal disorders having cost the health system $17.5 billion in 2024-25 - up $1.2 billion in a year.
"WMSD risks include poorly executed lifting, pushing, pulling and bending, repetitive movements, poor posture, prolonged driving, desk work and technology use in non-ergonomic workspaces," Dr Young said.
"According to the 2026 Pureprofile survey, with 44% of women who use a smartphone at work reporting that they did so with their neck bent and head down compared to 31% of men, this reflects data from the Pureprofile survey 2025, 'The impact of tech neck and neck pain in Australia', that found women were 43% more affected by productivity loss from tech neck than men," said Dr Young.
"Incorrect and non-ergonomic use of technology in the workplace or when working remotely can lead to developing WMSDs including chronic neck and back pain, shoulder stiffness, headaches and other musculoskeletal conditions such as Tension Neck Syndrome or 'tech neck' - a debilitating condition common among desk workers," she said.
Prevention and early intervention provide the best protection against WMSDs including modifying risk factors to improve workers' posture; promoting regular exercise and breaks, stretching and strengthening; establishing ergonomic workstations; implementing task-specific changes and equipment modifications; implementing ongoing education in manual handling/lifting techniques; and organisational change to balance work hours and workloads to improve workplace culture that can minimise mental stress.
"Simple changes to how we work can help minimise the risks of WMSDs including setting up workstations properly, taking regular movement breaks, and seeking treatment early rather than reaching for a painkiller," Dr Young said.
"By taking a proactive approach, employers can help prevent chronic conditions by making it easier for women to speak up, take breaks and take time off to recover from work-related injuries," she said.
Employers and workers are encouraged to join the WorkSpace Week movement by reviewing workplace safety controls, managing modifiable risk factors and encouraging workers to disclose WMSDs and seek early diagnosis, treatment, rest and rehabilitation to minimise the impact of WMSDs.
Free resources, including the WorkSpace Week Checklist, exercise posters, factsheets and podcasts, are available at workspaceweek.org.au to help Australians Work Well From Head to Toe.
