Effect of Partial Sick Leave on Sick Leave Duration in Employees with Musculoskeletal Disorders
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Effect of Partial Sick Leave on Sick Leave Duration in Employees with Musculoskeletal Disorders Lisa C. Bosman1,2 · Jos W. R. Twisk1 · Anna S. Geraedts2 · Martijn W. Heymans1
© The Author(s) 2019
Abstract Objective This study determined if partial sick leave was associated with a shorter duration of sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) based on routinely collected health data in Dutch sick-listed employees. Furthermore, the effect of timing of partial sick leave on sick leave duration was determined. Methods This cohort study consisted of 771 employees with partial sick leave and 198 employees with full-time sick leave who participated in an occupational health check, and had sick leave due to MSD for minimally 4 weeks and were diagnosed by an occupational physician. Multivariable linear regression models were performed to determine the effects of partial sick leave (unadjusted and adjusted for confounders and MSD diagnosis) and Kaplan–Meier curves were presented for visualization of return to work for different timings of starting partial sick leave. Furthermore, linear regression analysis were done in subsets of employees with different minimal durations of sick leave to estimate the effects of timing of partial sick leave. Results Initial results suggest that partial sick leave was associated with longer sick leave duration, also when adjusted for confounders and sick leave diagnosis. Secondary results which accounted for the timing of partial sick leave suggest that partial sick leave had no effect on the duration of sick leave. Conclusion Partial sick leave does not influence MSD sick leave duration in this study when accounting for the timing of partial sick leave. Keywords Musculoskeletal disorders · Occupational health practice · Partial sick leave · Return to work · Sickness absence
Introduction One of the leading causes of sick leave in European countries is musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) [1]. To prevent employees with MSD of work disability, guidelines advice employees with MSD to stay active, or increase activity and try modified work [2]. This advice agrees with the attitude of employees, as most employees with MSD complaints for more than 6 months who visit an occupational physician for medical consultation consider themselves able to work partially [3]. However, when the duration of symptoms is short, the more likely employees are able to work partially * Lisa C. Bosman [email protected] 1
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1089a, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ArboNed Occupational Health Service, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2
[3]. In the Netherlands and in the Nordic countries of Europe it is possible to have partial sick leave, which means that an employee will work for reduced hours. In the Nordic countries partial sick leave is compensated by partial sickness allowance [4]. Adaptation of job tasks or working hours (partial sick leave) were the most commonly
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