Factors associated with first return to work and sick leave durations in workers with common mental disorders

Background: Associations are examined between socio-demographic, medical, work-related and organizational factors and the moment of first return to work (RTW) (within or after 6 weeks of sick leave) and total sick leave duration in sick leave spells due to common mental disorders. Methods: Data are derived from a Dutch database, build to provide reference data for sick leave duration for various medical conditions. The cases in this study were entered in 2004 and 2005 by specially trained occupational health physicians, based on the physician's assessment of medical and other factors. Odds ratios for first RTW and sick leave durations are calculated in logistic regression models. Results: Burnout, depression and anxiety disorder are associated with longer sick leave duration. Similar, but weaker associations were found for female sex, being a teacher, small company size and moderate or high psychosocial hazard. Distress is associated with shorter sick leave duration. Medical factors, psychosocial hazard and company size are also and analogously associated with first RTW. Part-time work is associated with delayed first RTW. The strength of the associations varies for various factors and for different sick leave durations. Conclusion: The medical diagnosis has a strong relation with the moment of first RTW and the duration of sick leave spells in mental disorders, but the influence of demographic and work-related factors should not be neglected

Part-time sick leave as a treatment method for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders

There is increasing evidence that staying active is an important part of a recovery process for individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It has been suggested that using part-time sick-leave rather than full-time sick leave will enhance the possibility of full recovery to the workforce, and several countries actively favor this policy. However, to date only few studies have estimated the effect of using part-time sick leave in contrast to full-time sick leave. In this paper the effects of being on part-time sick leave compared to full-time sick leave is estimated for the probability of returning to work with full recovery of lost work capacity and uses a sample of 1,170 employees from the RFV-LS database of the Social Insurance Agency of Sweden. A twostage recursive bivariate probit model is used to deal with the endogeneity problem. The first step estimates the probability of being assigned to part-time sick leave, and the second step estimates the likelihood of recovery with part-time sick-leave as an explanatory variable together with a set of other individual characteristics. The results indicate that employees assigned to part-time sick leave do recover to full work capacity with a higher probability than those assigned to full-time sick leave. The average treatment effect of part-time sick leave is 25 percentage points. Considering that it may also be less expensive than assigning individuals to full-time sick leave, this would clearly imply efficiency improvements from assigning individuals, when possible, to part-time sick leaveSick-leave; Part-time; Musculoskeletal; Endogenous regressors.

No Time to be Sick: Why Everyone Suffers When Workers Don't Have Paid Sick Leave

Paid sick leave gives workers an opportunity to regain their health, return to full productivity at work, and avoid spreading disease to their co-workers, all of which reduces employers' overall absence expense. When used to care for sick children, it helps them get well faster and reduces job turnover of working parents. Workers who care for adult relatives, including the elderly, need paid sick leave to take care of their loved ones' chronic and acute medical problems. However, new analysis of data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals the inadequacy of paid sick leave coverage: more than 59 million workers have no such leave.Even more -- nearly 86 million -- do not have paid sick leave to care for sick children. Full-time workers, those in the public sector, and union members have the best sick leave coverage, while part-timers and low-wage workers have very low coverage rates. Expansion of paid sick leave and integration of family caregiving activities into authorized uses of paid sick leave are crucial work and health supports for workers, their families, employers, and our communities at large

The Effects on Sick Leave of Changes in the Sickness Insurance System

In order to get a more complete picture of how labor supply is affected by economic incentives, the effects on absenteeism and not just on contracted hours should be taken into account. In particular, absenteeism due to sick leave can be considerable. In this paper we examine whether the level of sick leave compensation affects sick leave behavior. Using time-series data for Sweden spanning a long period (1955–99) with numerous changes of the compensation level, we generally find strong effects of the expected sign. Reforms implying more generous compensation for sick leave tend to be associated with permanent increases in total sick leave per person employed and vice versa. These findings are reinforced in a panel study covering the 1983–91 period.Absenteeism; Labor supply; Sick leave; Sickness insurance; Social security

Is part-time sick leave helping the unemployed?

Using a discrete choice one-factor model, we estimate mean treatment parameters and distributional treatment parameters to analyze the effects of degree of sick leave on the probability of full recovery of lost work capacity for employed and unemployed individuals, respectively. Our results indicate that one year after the sick leave spell started, the average potential impact of part-time sick listing on an individual randomly chosen from the population on sick leave was positive for both groups, but the average effect on those who actually were on part-time sick leave was positive only for the employed, and negative for the unemployed.unemployed; part-time sick leave; selection; unobserved heterogeneity; treatment effects

Employers' Perspectives on San Francisco's Paid Sick Leave Policy

Based on a survey, examines how employers implemented San Francisco's 2007 ordinance mandating paid sick leave and how the businesses were affected. Discusses the costs and benefits of paid sick leave, employers' concerns, and long-term implications

The Human Right to Paid Sick Leave: How the United States and New York City Fail Low-Income Women of Color

Paid sick leave - the right to paid time off when a worker is too ill to work or to enable a worker to care for an ill family member - is enshrined under human rights law. Yet the United States fails its people in not mandating the human right to paid sick leave in its policies. This briefing aims to provide policy makers and advocates with an overview of: 1) the current situation in the United States and the disparities suffered by low-income women of color; 2) relevant human rights standards to advance this issue of economic and social justice; 3) recommendations and models to implement a paid sick leave policy on the local, state, and/or national level, and; 4) how the popular demand for paid sick leave policies override the minimal costs of implementation

Disability Retirement for Federal Employees

[Excerpt] Federal civilian employees earn 13 days of paid sick leave per year. Sick leave can be used because of the worker’s own illness or injury or to care for an ill or injured family member. A worker’s employing agency can advance up to 30 additional days of sick leave to an employee who has exhausted his or her accrued sick leave. A federal worker with a long-term disability can separate from service through a disability retirement. A federal employee who sustains a disabling injury on the job can receive benefits under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). FECA benefits consist of cash compensation, payment of medical costs related to the injury, vocational rehabilitation assistance, the cost of attendant care services, and burial benefits. A disabled federal employee may not receive a disability retirement annuity and FECA benefits simultaneously. This report will be updated as legislative developments warrant

Part-time Sick Leave as a Treatment for Individuals with Mental Disorders?

It has been suggested that using, when possible, part-time sick leave (PTSL) rather than full-time sick leave (FTSL) for employees diagnosed with a mental disorder (MD) decreases their likelihood of being on sick leave for long periods. However, no study has analyzed this "treatment". Using a one-factor loadings model and a sample of 627 employees on sick leave due to an MD diagnosis, we estimate the impact of the PTSL "treatment" on the probability of full recovery of lost work capacity. The results indicate that employees with an MD diagnosis assigned to PTSL after 60 days of FTSL have a relatively high probability of full recovery. More exactly, the average treatment effect of PTSL is relatively low (0.015) when assigned in the beginning of the spell, but relatively high (0.387), and statistically significant, when assigned after 60 days of FTSL.Part-time sick leave; mental disorders; one-factor loadings model

Wage Continuation During Sickness: Observations on Paid Sick Leave Provisions in Times of Crises

[Excerpt] The economic costs of working while sick go far beyond increased health care costs due to treating a significantly higher number of people showing more severe signs of ill health. They also involve costs due to lower productivity and subsequent impacts on economic growth and development, in addition to collective costs of growing health and social inequalities. However, many aspects of social health protection including the role, patterns and costs of paid sick leave are misunderstood or underappreciated especially during times of economic crisis and recession. It is often said that paid sick leave schemes are open to abuse, especially if the benefit levels appear generous. This is undoubtedly a danger, and points to the need for strong administration. However, it is all too easy to overstate the case. ILO analyses of stimulus packages and policies addressing the crises reveal that cuts of social and health budgets are among the first national responses to recover the costs of bailing out those that have contributed to the crisis. Concerned are social health protection measures that provide access to health services and financial protection in case of sickness, such as paid sick leave. Limited evidence is available for governments, employers and workers’ unions on the consequences of gaps in providing for paid sick leave and costs of failing to address the needs of the vulnerable. Developing reliable internationally comparable data is constrained by the complex interplay of health and socio-economic conditions including regulations, labour market structure and vulnerability when taking up paid sick leave. Against this background, this paper seeks to focus on the existing national and international evidence and provides some insights into the concepts, patterns and affordability of paid sick leave in countries throughout the world. Further, it is argued that providing for sick leave and related income replacement is a key component of decent work and should be considered within national social protection floors