[Return on investment for occupational health: review of methods and recommendations].

The impact of the population health on the national economy, occupational risk factors and economic consequences of workers' behaviors in the workplace are the subject of health economics studies. Conditions and behaviors at work are recognized as one of the major economic factors. These relations are analyzed and evaluated with use of methods that combine economic consequences of working conditions, management and enterprise finances. The methods of assessing this impact are well known but the ability to implement them in practice is still limited. There are two main types of methods: methods for measuring economic relations between the work environment and enterprise management and methods for the economic analysis of investments in the work environment and occupational health. Methods for assessing economic effectiveness of working conditions limited to measurements of costs of absenteeism at work are also used. One of the methodological options in this regard is return on investment (ROI) for occupational health. ROI has been applied in many firms all over the world. Depending on the analytical assumptions and the scope of research, the ROI value ranged between more than 1 and 13. This means that the increase in return on investment for occupational health has been observed. There are examples that the return on invested resources cannot be always obtained. ROI accounting gives employers an opportunity of increasing effectiveness. Evidence of the real value of health investment enables to provide the platform of discussion among managers and other persons responsible for occupational health management. The results of the studies cannot be overestimated as an element of economic incentives system. Based on the review of the methods and results of their implementation some recommendations can be formulated.