Research Plus

Return to work

Good organisational climate combined with fair work commitment – ie neither under- nor over-committed to work, with fair demands and responsibilities – is predictive of early return to work (RTW) in women following sickness absence (adjusted relative risk = 2.05; 95% CI 1.32–3.18), this prospective cohort study from Sweden finds. However, it is not predictive of RTW in men (RR 0.99; CI 0.56–1.75). The study population comprised 1,494 women and 791 men, aged 19–64. Forty-three per cent of woman and 45% of men had an ‘early’ RTW (14–31 days); whereas 27% of women and 25% of men had a ‘late’ return (more than 90 days’ absence). Good organisational climate and fair work commitment also predicted a lower risk of late RTW in women (RR = 0.42; CI 0.28–0.64), but not in men (RR 1.16; CI 0.60–2.21).

 

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2013; 55(2): 121–127. 

Tags evidence based practice oh policies over-working Return to work

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2013 (vol. 09/6) pp16