Experiences managing pregnant hospital staff members using an active management policy—A qualitative study

Abstract

Background and objective During pregnancy, absence from work increases significantly. Job adjustments have been shown to decrease absences; however, studies show only half of pregnant women who need job adjustments receive them. Little is known about the viewpoints of managers and possible challenges in the management of pregnant employees. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and considerations of managers in relation to managing pregnant hospital staff members and to describe the experiences of an active management policy for pregnant individuals. Methods A qualitative study based on five focus group interviews was conducted at five public hospitals in Zealand, Denmark with participation of 19 hospital managers, from 17 different wards, representing six different medical specialties. The interviews took place from February to May 2019. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Four themes were identified: (1) The everyday management, (2) Managerial dilemmas, (3) Acknowledging the workplace culture, and (4) Dialogue as a means for the working relationship. The managers’ experiences revolved around investing a lot of effort into the working relationship with pregnant staff members by adjusting job tasks and work schedules while balancing work tasks between all staff members. The dialogue was considered central in order to identify the needs of the individual staff member. Conclusions Overall, management dialogue constituted a central tool in order to identify the needs of the individual staff member. A proactive and open approach increased the chances of a fruitful dialogue. The individual staff member, the influence of the workplace culture, and the everyday management of the workplace all shaped the experiences of the managers. The concept of an active management policy for pregnant individuals was perceived to entail useful elements, but also as replicating what managers already did.

Reflections on workplace adjustments for pregnant employees: a qualitative study of the experiences of pregnant employees and their managers

“…Guidance from healthcare providers in addressing pregnant workers was also appreciated and sometimes requested by the managers. However, Backhausen et al (2021) found that an important reason for inadequate adjustments of work-related tasks and the retention of pregnant employees was a lack of communication with general practitioners or midwives, who recommend sick leave, leaving no means to find a solution to remain at work [ 12 ]. The role of health professionals and ways to strengthen communication between healthcare providers and the workplace may be relevant to explore further.…”

“…Workplace adjustments have been found to reduce the number of days of sick leave taken by pregnant women. However, studies indicate that not all pregnant women who need such adjustments find that they are made [ 8 – 12 ]. A review by Salihu et al (2012) recommended that occupational risk assessments be conducted for pregnant employees [ 13 ].…”

Impact of a manager-oriented intervention on occupational exposures and well-being among pregnant hospital and day-care employees: A cluster randomised trial

“…It was the first-line managers who were invited to participate in the three-hour seminars, since they were responsible for the daily management of the pregnant employees. A focus group interview with the participating managers from the hospitals revealed that the APp concept was found to be useful, but also that it replicated usual practice to some extent [25]. The interview further revealed that implementation difficulties depended on many factors, including busy workdays, consideration of both pregnant employees and their colleagues and lack of communication with the pregnant employees’ general practitioner or midwife [25].…”

“…A focus group interview with the participating managers from the hospitals revealed that the APp concept was found to be useful, but also that it replicated usual practice to some extent [25]. The interview further revealed that implementation difficulties depended on many factors, including busy workdays, consideration of both pregnant employees and their colleagues and lack of communication with the pregnant employees’ general practitioner or midwife [25]. These challenges experienced by the first-line managers are in line with research in organisational changes, which has indicated that important factors for successful implementation of occupational health interventions include support from the organisation, allocation of resources and time and space for interaction between managers and employees [26,27].…”

A narrative review on factors associated with job interruption during pregnancy

“…Publications dealing with factors associated with absence from work at di erent level Publications dealing with interventions aiming at reducing absences from work relying on... National context Social bene t system and insurance policy [4,6,16,39,40] Occupational exposure [6,10,11,14,[16][17][18][19]21,24] Work atmosphere and environment [25][26][27][28][29][30] accommodations at the workplace [5,7,24,27,[41][42][43][44] program targeting managers [48][49][50] information campaigns [51] Health professionnal Role of physician [31][32][33][34] the use of healthcare services [9,23,[45][46][47] Employer Workplaces conditions Symptoms and pathology [5,[10][11][12] Sociodemographic and general health [5,…”