PhD ceremony Mr. P.A. Flach: Sick leave management beyond return to work

PhD ceremony: Mr. P.A. Flach

Dissertation: Sick leave management beyond return to work

Promotor(s): prof. J.W. Groothoff, prof. U. Bültmann

Faculty: Medical Sciences

This thesis focuses on four outcomes of sick leave management e.g. time to RTW, job loss, RTW sustainability and work functioning after RTW, and the factors associated with these outcomes. All variables used in the studies have been registered by OHPs and employers.

Mental disorders are more often than other disorders associated with long sick leave duration, with higher risk of job loss during sick leave and with lower work functioning after RTW, but mental disorders are not associated with higher risk of diagnosis recurrence after RTW. The findings suggest that a lack of supervisor support is associated with higher risk of job loss and diagnosis recurrence. Employees with good self-rated health show better work functioning after RTW compared to those with lower self-rated health.