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Objectives: This study examined the associations between implemented disability-related policies and practices (DPP) and sustained employment among partially disabled employees in The Netherlands., Methods: Employer survey data on implemented DPP were linked to register data on employment outcomes of partially disabled employees (N=6103 employees from N=366 employers). DPP included six domains based on 48 elements: sick leave policy, occupational health and safety services (OHS), prevention policy, reintegration policy, reintegration practices within the current employer and reintegration practices towards another employer. DPP domains were standardized on a 0-1 scale. Separate logistic regression models were estimated for DDP domains on one-year sustained employment adjusted for employee characteristics, firm size, and sector., Results: Almost all organizations implemented at least one element of DPP on prevention policy, OHS, sick leave policy, and reintegration practices within the current employer, and two-thirds on reintegration policy and reintegration practices towards another employer. Implemented DPP on prevention policy [odds ratio (OR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-4.0], OHS (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2), and sick leave policy (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.3) were positively associated with sustained employment. No significant results were found for reintegration policy and both reintegration practices domains. Stratified analysis showed that DDP domains were particularly associated with sustained employment in larger organizations and in the private sector., Conclusions: Implemented DPP related to sick leave policy, OHS and prevention policy are associated with sustained employment among partially disabled employees, in particular in larger organizations and in the private sector.

Purpose This study describes the development of an evidence-based intervention to create a supportive work environment for employees with chronic conditions. Occupational physicians (OPs) play an important role in guiding organizations in this process of organizational change. Supportive work environments can aid in preventing work-related problems and facilitate sustainable employment. Current workplace interventions for employees with chronic conditions are mainly focused on return to work or a reduction in sick leave at the individual worker's level. This study contributes to the literature an organizational-level intervention which utilizes a preventive approach. Methods Intervention mapping (IM) is a six-step, structured protocol that was used to develop this intervention. In step 1, a needs assessment was conducted to define the problem and explore the perspectives of all stakeholders involved. The program outcomes and the performance objectives of employees with chronic conditions and occupational physicians were specified in step 2. In step 3, appropriate methods and practical applications were chosen. Step 4 describes the actual development of the intervention, consisting of (1) a training for occupational physicians to teach them how to guide organizations in creating a supportive work environment; (2) a practical assignment; and (3) a follow-up meeting. The intervention will be implemented in a pilot study in which occupational physicians will put their acquired knowledge and skills into practice within one of their organizations, which is delineated in step 5. Conclusions IM proved to be a valuable and practical tool for the development of this intervention, aiming to facilitate sustainable employment for employees with chronic conditions.

Purpose: Multiple job holding (MJH) is common in many countries, but little is known about its (health) consequences. Our aim is to explore the longitudinal association between MJH and long-term sickness absence (LTSA) among Danish employees., Methods: We included employees (N = 8968) who participated in the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS), based on a representative sample of the Danish working population. Three dichotomous independent variables were created: MJH in general, combination MJH (i.e. second job as employee) and hybrid MJH (i.e. self-employed in second job). LTSA (≥5 weeks) was measured using the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization during 78 weeks of follow-up. Potential confounders included demographics, health, and work characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study whether LTSA was associated with MJH in general, combination MJH, and hybrid MJH. Interaction effects for gender, age, total working hours per week (≤37 or >37 h a week), and shift work were tested., Results: In total, 11.7% (N = 1048) of the respondents reported having multiple jobs and 7.6% (N = 678) experienced LTSA during follow-up. After adjustment for confounders, no significant association between LTSA and MJH in general (OR = 0.82), combination MJH (OR = 0.81), or hybrid MJH (OR = 0.83) was found. Among employees working more than 37 h per week, combination MJH was associated with a higher likelihood of LTSA (OR = 1.50)., Conclusions: We did not find evidence for an increased likelihood of LTSA among multiple job holders. Future research should study the likelihood of LTSA among subgroups of multiple job holders, e.g. those working long hours.

Purpose A multifaceted implementation strategy was targeted at supervisors to encourage them to apply a participatory approach (PA) in dealing with employees' work functioning problems due to health concerns. This paper assesses the effect on employees' perceived social norms regarding the use of the PA to deal with work functioning problems. Methods Three organizations participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial, with randomization at the department level. Supervisors in the PA intervention departments received the implementation strategy consisting of a working group meeting, supervisor training, and optional coaching. Supervisors in the control departments received written information about the PA only. In two of the organizations, employees were invited to complete surveys at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome was perceived social norms regarding the use of the PA to deal with work functioning problems. Secondary measures included attitudes and self-efficacy, and intention regarding joint problem solving, and sick leave data. Effects were analyzed using multilevel analyses to account for nesting of cases. Results At baseline, 273 employees participated in the survey, with follow-up analyses of 174 employees. There were no statistically significant group effects on employee outcome measures. The intervention group showed a larger reduction in mean sick days (from 4.6 to 2.4 days) versus the control group (from 3.8 to 3.6 days), but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p > .05). Conclusion The multifaceted strategy to implement the participatory approach for supervisors did not show effects on outcomes at the employee level. To gain significant effects at the employee level, may require that an implementation strategy not only targets management and supervisors, but also employees themselves., Trial Registration: NTR3733.

Background: Adequate implementation of work-related stress management interventions can reduce or prevent work-related stress and sick leave in organizations. We developed a multifaceted integral stress-prevention strategy for organizations from several sectors that includes a digital platform and collaborative learning network. The digital platform contains a stepwise protocol to implement work-related stress-management interventions. It includes stress screeners, interventions and intervention providers to facilitate access to and the selection of matching work-related stress-management interventions. The collaborative learning network, including stakeholders from various organizations, plans meetings focussing on an exchange of experiences and good practices among organizations for the implementation of stress prevention measures. This paper describes the design of an integral stress-prevention strategy, Stress Prevention@Work, and the protocol for the evaluation of: 1) the effects of the strategy on perceived stress and work-related outcomes, and 2) the barriers and facilitators for implementation of the strategy., Methods: The effectiveness of Stress Prevention@Work will be evaluated in a cluster controlled trial, in a large healthcare organization in the Netherlands, at six and 12 months. An independent researcher will match teams on working conditions and size and allocate the teams to the intervention or control group. Teams in the intervention group will be offered Stress Prevention@Work. For each intervention team, one employee is responsible for applying the strategy within his/her team using the digital platform and visiting the collaborative learning network. Using a waiting list design, the control group will be given access to the strategy after 12 months. The primary outcome is the employees' perceived stress measured by the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Secondary outcome measures are job demands, job resources and the number of preventive stress measures implemented at the team level. Alongside the trial, a process evaluation, including barriers and facilitators of the implementation of Stress Prevention@Work, will be conducted in one healthcare organisation., Discussion: If Stress Prevention@Work is found to be effective in one healthcare organisation, further implementation on a broader scale might lead to increased productivity and decreased stress and sick leave in other organizations. Results are expected in 2018., Trial Registration: NTR5527 . Registered 7 Dec 2015.

Purpose To study the effectiveness of a multifaceted strategy to implement the participatory approach (PA) for supervisors to increase their self-efficacy in addressing risk of sick leave of employees. Methods Supervisors from three organizations were invited to participate. Randomization was performed at department level. Supervisors (n = 61) in the intervention departments received the implementation strategy consisting of a working group meeting, supervisor training in PA application, and optional supervisor coaching. Supervisors in the control departments (n = 55) received written information on PA. The primary outcome was supervisors' self-efficacy to apply the PA, measured at baseline and 6 months' follow-up. The number of employees with whom supervisors discussed work functioning problems or (risk of) sick leave was also assessed. Effects were tested using multilevel analyses. Results The strategy did not increase self-efficacy to apply the PA. Subgroup analyses showed that self-efficacy increased for supervisors who at baseline reported to have discussed (risk of) sick leave with less than three employees during the last 6 months (B = 1.42, 95 % CI 0.34-2.50). Furthermore, the implementation strategy increased the number of employees with whom supervisors discussed work functioning problems or risk of sick leave (B = 1.26, 95 % CI 0.04-2.48). Conclusion Although the implementation strategy cannot be recommended for all supervisors, for supervisors who less frequently discuss (risk of) sick leave with employees the implementation strategy might be helpful. Trial registration NTR3733.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) can impact working life, sickness absence (SA), and disability pension (DP). Different types of occupations involve different demands, which may be associated with trajectories of SA and DP among people with MS (PwMS). We aim to explore if annual levels of SA and DP differ according to type of occupation among PwMS and references. Further, we aim to gain knowledge of how trajectories of SA and DP are associated with type of occupation among PwMS. Methods: A nationwide Swedish register-based prospective cohort study with six-year follow-up was conducted, including 6,100 individuals with prevalent MS and 38,641 matched population references. Mean annual SA and DP net days during follow-up years were calculated and stratified by type of occupation. Trajectories of SA and DP were identified with group-based trajectory modelling. Multinomial logistic regressions were estimated for associations between identified trajectories and different types of occupations. Results: An increase of SA and DP over time in all types of occupations was observed in both PwMS and references, with higher levels of SA and DP among PwMS. Managers had the lowest levels of SA and DP in both groups. Three SA and DP trajectory groups were identified: Persistently Low (55.2%), Moderate Increasing (31.9%), and High Increasing (12.8%). Managers (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.37, 95%CI 0.26-0.52) and those working in Science & Technology (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.50-0.82) had less probability of belonging to the Moderate Increasing group. Similarly, Managers (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.30-0.89) and Science & Technology (OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.39-0.88) had also less probability of belonging to the High Increasing group. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the type of occupation plays a role in the level and course of SA and DP among PwMS. Key messages: Over time SA and DP levels increased among PwMS regardless of type of occupation. PwMS in Managers or Science and Technology had less probability of belonging to the increasing trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]