Work as an arena for health—Supervisors’ experiences with attending to employees’ sick leave and return-to-work process

Nina Elisabeth Klevanger, Lene Aasdahl and Marit By Rise

PLOS ONE, 2023, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: Background: Supervisors play a pivotal role in the sick leave process. Although responsibility for sick leave and return to work follow-up is increasingly placed on the workplace in Norway, few studies have explored supervisors’ experiences. This study aims to explore supervisors´ experiences with attending to employees’ sick leave and return to work process. Methods: This study consists of individual interviews with 11 supervisors from diverse workplaces that was analysed thematically. Results: The supervisors emphasised the value of presence at the workplace, the need for them to obtain information and uphold dialogue, considering individual and environmental influences on return-to-work and allocating responsibility. Investing time and money was crucial to prevent or reduce the negative impact of sick leave. Conclusions: The supervisors’ perception of attending to sick leave and return-to-work largely reflect Norwegian legislation. However, they find obtaining information and managing responsibility challenging, suggesting that their responsibilities for return-to-work are perhaps disproportionate to their knowledge on attending this process. Individualised support and guidance on how to develop accommodations based on the employee´s workability should be made available. The reciprocal nature of follow-up described also reveals how the return-to-work process is enmeshed with (inter)personal considerations possibly resulting in unequal treatment.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0284369

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284369

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