Not all kinds of sick leave are alike.

Significant medical illnesses sometimes make time off work necessary. Under other circumstances, there may be a discretionary element to sick leave. That is, the person could actually attend work safely and productively if systems were put in place to accommodate their medical condition.  

From Sweden - a great source of research in return to work issues - we have a study looking at whether workplace flexibility can influence sickness absence.

The researchers looked at six different Swedish workplaces. They measured whether there were general or specific types of adjustment latitude, e.g. flexible work arrangements, and whether those influenced sick leave.

The employees reported their reasons for sick leave, and these were typically minor medical problems such as colds and headaches, etc.

Employees from workplaces where flexibility was not available were 1.5 times as likely to take sick leave.

The ability to work from home was the factor that made the greatest difference in whether people took time off work or not.

Authors

Hultin H. Hallqvist J. Alexanderson K. Johansson G. Lindholm C. Lundberg I. Moller J. .

Authors Full Name

Hultin, Hanna. Hallqvist, Johan. Alexanderson, Kristina. Johansson, Gun. Lindholm, Christina. Lundberg, Ingvar. Moller, Jette. .

Institution

Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Public Health Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. hanna.hultin@ki.se

Title

Low level of adjustment latitude--a risk factor for sickness absence.

Source

European Journal of Public Health. 20(6):682-8, 2010 Dec.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prerequisite for obtaining sickness benefit is reduced work ability for medical reasons in combination with work demands which cannot be adjusted accordingly. The aim of this study was to investigate if low levels of adjustment latitude, defined as the possibility to temporarily adjust work demands in case of ill health, influence sickness absence.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 1420 employees (47% participation, aged 19-68; 56% women) was conducted at six Swedish workplaces. Exposure to two general and nine specific types of adjustment latitude was ascertained at baseline. Outcome was defined as the first new employer-reported sick-leave spell during a follow-up of 3-12 months. Hazard ratios (HR) of sick leave, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS: The incidence of sickness absence was 2.85/1000 person-days. The self-reported reasons for sick leave were mainly minor complaints such as colds, influenzas and headaches. Employees lacking adjustment latitude had an adjusted HR of sickness absence of 1.51 (95% CI 1.08-2.11). Among specific adjustment latitude types, those not having the possibility to work from home generated an HR of 1.86 (95% CI 1.31-2.64). The effects of lack of adjustment latitude were similar for men and women but seemed to vary between different occupations.

CONCLUSION: A low level of adjustment latitude at work is a risk factor for sickness absence.

PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142397