Workers perspective on work-related absences and workplace accommodations

Introduction
Sickness absence and work resumption are mainly investigated from the perspective of the employer or physicians involved in disability management. The current study contributes in closing the gap in patient-oriented sickness absence and work resumption literature.

Methods
A Belgian cross-sectional study included 1559 employees, aged 18-50 years, > 8 weeks on sick leave due to a not pregnancy related pathology and willing to participate in a project on physician co-operation. A standardised questionnaire with a 4-point Likert answer scale was used to obtain patient information on 1) sickness absence; the pathology causing the sickness absence, the relation between the work and the sickness absence, the attitude towards sickness absence; and 2) work resumption; the attitude towards work modifications, and the work resumption prognosis.

Results
1) Sickness absence. Pathology: 71% reported mainly an orthopaedic disorder, 15% a psychiatric disorder. Work-related pathology: 34% attributed the sick leave (fully or for a large part) to his work conditions. Sickness absence attitude: 93% found it (very or moderate) inconvenient not being able to work.

2) Work resumption. Work modifications: 79% was - in expectation of fully recovery - (very or moderate) positive towards modified work or partial work resumption. Work resumption prognosis: 80% thought to resume work within the following 3 months, 9% feared not being able to work ever again.

Discussion
The results underlines the need of 1) ergonomic prevention to avoid orthopaedic problems, work-site interventions to address work-related sickness absences, and the acknowledgment that most patients prefer work above sickness absence (benefits); 2) temporarily adapted work possibilities to achieve early return to work, and timely detection of patients in need for work resumption initiatives (those fearing not being able to resume work in the next 3 months)