Gender differences in work modifications and changed job characteristics during the return-to-work process: a...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Gender Studies
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Return-to-work (RTW) processes are crucial for employee well-being and economic productivity.
• Understanding gender differences in RTW interventions can optimize support strategies.
• Sickness absence due to mental or musculoskeletal disorders presents unique challenges for RTW.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and describe gender-specific differences in work modifications and job characteristic changes during the RTW process.
• To identify the types and frequency of work modifications implemented for men and women returning to work.
• To assess changes in job characteristics, such as autonomy and demands, post-RTW.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 119 employees (54 women, 65 men) with sickness absence exceeding one month.
• Bi-monthly interviews were conducted over 13 months to gather data on RTW experiences.
• Work modifications and job characteristics were assessed at RTW and compared between genders, controlling for comparable demographics and health conditions.

Main Results:

• Work modifications were utilized in 77.4% of RTW attempts, with reduced hours and pace being most common; no overall gender difference in modification frequency.
• Women more frequently used reduced hours and pace compared to men, particularly between 12-20 weeks of absence.
• Both genders reported increased job autonomy and emotional demands, with women reporting higher job satisfaction post-RTW.

Conclusions:

• Work modifications are widely implemented to reduce workplace pressure during RTW, with slight variations observed between genders.
• The observed marginal gender differences in modifications may be attributed to the comparable characteristics of the study participants.
• Return to work was associated with improvements in certain job characteristics for both men and women.