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The concept of work ability.

Per-Anders Tengland¹

¹Department of Public Health, Health and Society, Malmö University, Sweden. Per-Anders.Tengland@mah.se

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation

|November 6, 2010

Summary

This study defines work ability, crucial for rehabilitation and sickness insurance legislation. It proposes two definitions: one for specialized jobs and another for general employment, aiding in evaluation and strategy development.

Area of Science:

Occupational Health
Rehabilitation Science
Social Insurance Law

Background:

Work ability is a key concept in working life sciences, rehabilitation, and sickness insurance legislation.
The definition of work ability has significant normative implications but is often insufficiently defined.
Existing definitions lack clarity, necessitating a conceptual analysis for practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the meaning of work ability through conceptual analysis.
To propose a useful definition for both scientific research and practical work settings.
To critically examine defining characteristics such as health, competence, and motivation.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of the term "work ability".

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Critical scrutiny of literature-based defining characteristics: health, basic standard competence, occupational competence, occupational virtues, and motivation.

Relating these characteristics to work tasks and the work environment.

Main Results:

Two distinct definitions of work ability are proposed.
Definition 1 (specific jobs): Requires occupational competence, requisite health, and occupational virtues for demanding tasks in acceptable environments.
Definition 2 (general jobs): Requires health, basic standard competence, and relevant occupational virtues for manageable tasks in acceptable environments.

Conclusions:

The proposed definitions offer a framework for understanding the complex, holistic, and dynamic nature of work ability.
These definitions can inform the development of work ability evaluation instruments.
The findings support the formulation of effective rehabilitation strategies.