Work disability management in Finnish companies-survey on planning, implementation and evaluation

BackgroundWork disability incurs considerable costs to individuals, companies and societies. However, work disability has not been managed in the same systematic way as workplace safety.ObjectiveWe aimed to study the current state of work disability management (WDM), in the light of Canadian WDM system standard, CSA Z1011, in large and medium-sized Finnish companies.MethodsCompany decision-makers responded to a questionnaire survey on planning, implementing and monitoring and evaluating strategic- and operational-level WDM practices. We received 311 responses (response rate 24%).ResultsDifferent operational-level WDM measures, such as return-to-work policies, modified and part-time work, were commonly documented and implemented in the majority of the participating workplaces. However, the planning and monitoring of the results were less frequent. In less than half of the companies the management had a shared understanding of WDM and its goals, and only a third had a written WDM plan. The results were evaluated in less than 60% of the companies, and only in half of them, these goals belonged to the top management's agenda.ConclusionsThis is the first published research concerning WDM in the light of CSA Z1011 system standard. The results suggest that operational-level WDM measures are common in Finnish companies, but that measures are not particularly goal oriented, and WDM is seldom connected to the company strategy.