Work adjustments among the chronically ill

Abstract

Work(place) adjustments can help restore the work capacity of persons with a chronic disease. This study aims to quantify the presence of work adjustments among chronically ill workers in the Netherlands, and to investigate the extent to which the presence of work adjustments are related to the experience of work-interfering problems, disease characteristics or work characteristics. Data for this study are derived from the Dutch Panel of Patients with Chronic Diseases. The results discussed here relate to data collected in 1999 from a representative sample of 556 working people with various chronic somatic diseases. Of the work-interfering problems, the ones related to physical disabilities, concentration or memory deficits and transportation emerged as the most important factors related to the presence of either immaterial (i.e. not material) or material work adjustments. In addition, higher age and lower educational level were associated with a higher probability of immaterial adjustments; pain, attack frequency and physical demands of the job were important predictors of material work adjustments.

Employment status and perceived health status in younger and older people with multiple sclerosis

“…Following our results, rehabilitation services seem to be important for work adjustment in terms of supporting physical and mental health which are shown here to be closely associated (Baanders et al, 2001). Considering the consequences of premature invalidity in the group of older people with MS and reduced participation in general in both groups, with respect to financial security, it may be far more beneficial to assist people with work adjustment using physical rehabilitation techniques and coping strategies than to advise them to leave employment due to disability (Johnson et al, 2004).…”

“…Furthermore, higher physical disability, disease progression, longer disease duration, and older age were associated with nonemployment (Nortvedt et al, 1999;Grima et al, 2000). Problems related to physical disabilities, concentration deficits and transportation were the most important predictors of adjustment to work among the chronically ill, including neurological diseases (Baanders et al, 2001).…”

Cancer survivorship and work: Symptoms, supervisor response, co-worker disclosure and work adjustment

“…Previous research indicates that employer-made work adjustments that directly accommodate work limitations reported by employees managing various chronic illnesses, enable them to not only manage their work, but maintain employment [20]. The findings from the current study add some support to the use of work adjustment.…”

Dealing with self-management of chronic illness at work: predictors for self-disclosure

“…Evidence suggests that where employees do disclose, appropriate and facilitative changes in their work arrangements are more likely to occur. These include reduced working hours, decreased work pace, reduced workload, or adjustments to the physical work environment (Baanders, Andries, Rijken, & Dekker, 2001;Daly & Bound, 1996;Lerner, Amick, Malspeis, & Rogers, 2000). However, not all self-disclosures result in receiving practical support (Daly & Bound, 1996) and, equally, not all self-disclosures are related to seeking work adjustments.…”

“…In this respect, much of the attention has been given to the workrelated causes of chronic illness (e.g. back pain), the impact of chronic illness on work productivity or to work adjustments provided (Baanders, Andries, Rijken & Dekker, 2001;Burton, Conti, Chen, Schultz & Edington, 1999;Gulick, Yam & Touw, 1989;Gulick, 1992;Kessler, Greenberg, Mickelson & Wang, 2001;Lerner, Amick, Lee, Rooney, Roger, Chang et al, 2000;Lerner, Amick, Malspeis & Rogers, 2003;Roessler & Rumrill, 1998). Less attention has been paid to the management of chronic illness from the employees' perspective.…”