Do work-place initiated measures reduce sickness absence? Preventive measures and sickness absence among older workers in Norway

Midtsundstad, Tove; Nielsen, Roy A.

doi:10.1177/1403494813510791

Cited by 9 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…In their analysis, they also used o ce workers as a reference, and did not include information on company size or take into account the baseline difference in sickness absence. Another study by Midtsundstad et al from 2014 showed, on the other hand, a positive impact of the intervention on overall sickness absence and a varying effect by industry (8). They used the same DID method as in our study and found a positive impact on sickness absence among IA companies in the public administration sector.…”

Section: Methodological Considerationssupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Five valuable measures have however been proposed in a review on how to measure SA, and cumulative incidence is one of these (17). We chose to use cumulative incidence because the same measure of SA has been used in earlier scienti c papers evaluating the IA Agreement's impact on sickness absence (7,8), thus enabling easier comparisons of results. Our choice was also based on a belief that LSAS could capture changes resulting from the IA interventions, which aim to reduce long lasting and recurring sickness absence spells, and may lead to shorter (< 16 days) and fewer SA spells.…”

Section: Outcome (Long-term Sickness Absence Spells)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two studies showed no impact on SA (7,8), while more recent studies, using causal inference methods, found positive impacts with a higher probability of returning to work (9) and a lower likelihood of receiving a full disability pension (10). These studies are, however, done on selected samples, such as participants on work rehabilitation (9) and older employees aged 50-61 (10), highlighting the need for studies on other samples/cohorts.…”

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confidence: 98%

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Long-term sickness absence among young and middle-aged workers in Norway: The impact of a population-level intervention

Hanvold¹,

Kristensen²,

Corbett

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract Background The study objective was to evaluate the impact of a population-level intervention (the IA Agreement) on the one-year risk for long-term sickness absence spells (LSAS) among young and middle aged workers in Norway. Methods Using an observational design, we conducted a quasi-experimental study to analyse registry data on individual LSAS for all employed individuals in 2000 (n=298 690) and 2005 (n=352 618), born in Norway between 1976 and 1967. The intervention of interest was the tripartite agreement for a more inclusive working life (the IA Agreement). We estimated difference in pre-post differences (DID) in LSAS between individuals working in IA companies with the intervention and companies without, in 2000 and 2005. We used logistic regression models and present odds ratios (DID OR) with accompanying 95% CI. We stratified analyses by sex, industry and company size. Results . We found no significant change in the overall risk of long-term sickness absence spells after implementing the intervention among young and middle aged workers. Stratified by sex, the intervention resulted in a slight decrease in LSAS risk among female workers (DID OR 0.93 (0.91-0.96)) while the intervention showed no impact among male workers (DID OR 1.01 (0.97-1.06)). We found that companies signing the IA Agreement were large (≥50 employees) and often within the manufacturing and health and social sectors. In large manufacturing companies, we found a reduction in LSAS, among workers both in companies with and without the intervention, resulting in no statistically significant impact of the IA intervention. In large health and social companies, we found an increase in LSAS among workers both in companies with and without the intervention. The increase was smaller among the workers in companies offering the IA intervention compared with workers in companies without, resulting in a positive impact of the IA intervention in the health and social industry. This impact was statistically significant only among female workers. Conclusions The results indicate that the impact of the IA Agreement on the risk of long-term sickness absence spells varies considerably depending on sex and industry. These findings suggest that reducing LSAS may warrant industry-specific interventions.

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Section: Methodological Considerationssupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Outcome (Long-term Sickness Absence Spells)mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 98%

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Long-term sickness absence among young and middle-aged workers in Norway: The impact of a population-level intervention

Hanvold¹,

Kristensen²,

Corbett

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Good economic compensation in the statutory pension and employment pension could attract and pull older workers to leave working life [ 10 ]. Health is described as one of the most important factors for an individual to be pushed to leave working life [ 2 , 8 – 18 .]. In addition, a poor working environment, unemployment and economic downturn, austerity policies or other financial circumstances could push individuals out from their working life [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has the participation of older employees in the workforce increased? Study of the total Swedish population regarding exit from working life

Nilsson

Östergren

Kadefors

et al. 2016

Scand J Public Health

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Aims: This study investigated: (i) the workforce participation in Sweden among older employees before and after changes in eligibility for sickness absence and unemployment compensation by a social insurance reform; and (ii) absence and early exit mechanisms from the workforce for different professions by looking at sickness benefits, disability pension and unemployment, early statutory pension, employment pension and unregistered economic supply. Methods: A register-based follow-up study of the total Swedish workforce population of 55–64-year-olds, measured in 2004 and 2011. Results: The total proportion of individuals aged 55–64 in the workforce increased between 2004 and 2011, but the increase was mostly in professions with lower educational requirements, a lower salary and dominated by women. Both in 2004 and in 2011, men in professions with higher educational requirements more often exit working life with an early statutory pension and employment pension. In contrast, professions with lower educational requirements more often absence working life with sickness benefits, disability pension and unemployment compensation than other professions in both 2004 and 2011. Conclusions: The change in regulations seems to have contributed to an overall shrinking proportion of individuals within the sickness benefit and disability pension schemes. At the same time the proportion of individuals taking an early pension has increased. The results indicated a tendency of passing on the costs of labour-market exit within different economic compensation arrangements, as well as to the individuals themselves; for example, less sickness benefit, disability pension, but more statutory pension and employment pension earlier.

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“…Within company interventions are therefore considered to be an important mean to reduce disability rates [17]. Earlier Norwegian studies found no effect of working in an IW company [18,19]. However, the dependent variable in these studies was sickness absence, not disability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do workplace interventions reduce disability rates?

Midtsundstad

Nielsen

2016

OCCMED

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BackgroundIncreasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility have led to a shift in the workforce age structure towards older age groups. Deteriorating health and reduced work capacity are among the challenges to retaining older workers in the labour force.AimsTo examine whether workplace interventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity affect disability rates among employees aged 50 years and older.MethodsData from a survey of Norwegian companies (n = 713) were linked with registry data on their employees aged 50-61 years (n = 30771). By means of a difference-in-differences approach, we compared change in likelihood of receiving a full disability pension among employees in companies with and without workplace interventions.ResultsEmployees in companies reporting to have workplace interventions in 2005 had a higher risk of receiving full disability pension during the period 2001-03 compared with employees in companies without such interventions [odds ratio (OR) 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.45]. During the period 2005-07, there was an overall reduction in disability rates (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96) in both the intervention and control group. However, employees in companies reporting to have interventions in 2005 experienced an additional reduction in an employee’s likelihood of receiving a full disability pension (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.99) compared with employees in companies without interventions.ConclusionsInterventions to facilitate work among employees with health problems or reduced work capacity have reduced disability rates among employees aged 50-61. This suggests that companies’ preventive interventions are an effective means to retain older workers with deteriorating health.

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Do work-place initiated measures reduce sickness absence? Preventive measures and sickness absence among older workers in Norway

Cited by 9 publications

References 11 publications

Long-term sickness absence among young and middle-aged workers in Norway: The impact of a population-level intervention

Long-term sickness absence among young and middle-aged workers in Norway: The impact of a population-level intervention

Has the participation of older employees in the workforce increased? Study of the total Swedish population regarding exit from working life

Do workplace interventions reduce disability rates?

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