Research Plus

Injustice at work

Despite a plethora of theoretical models, there is little prospective empirical evidence of the impact of psychosocial factors at work on sickness absence. Research undertaken as part of the Whitehall II study of British civil servants assessed the impact of relational justice and effort–reward imbalance – measured using standard questionnaires – on sickness absence. After adjustment for age, employment grade, and baseline health, men and women with low relational justice had significant increased risks of long absence spells. High effort–reward imbalance also increased the risk of long spells. Both measures also predicted short absence spells.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2007; 63(4); 433–440. 

Tags absence evidence based practice sickness absence

Occupational Health at Work December/January 2007/2008 (vol. 04/4) pp39