What makes men and women with musculoskeletal complaints decide they are too sick to work?
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine what makes men and women with musculoskeletal complaints decide to call in sick for work.


METHODS
Qualitative, face-to-face interviews were used with employees (16 men and 14 women) who had called in sick due to a musculoskeletal complaint and who expected to be absent from work for at least 2 weeks on sick leave.


RESULTS
The participants fell into the following two main groups: those who were off sick because of a diagnosed medical condition, such as a fracture, and those who were off sick because of an unidentifiable complaint, such as low-back pain. Employees in the former group called in sick because they were in the hospital or because they reckoned that their condition was too serious to warrant a continuation of work. Employees in the latter group felt hesitant and insecure and found it hard to judge whether absenteeism was justified. They decided either to "play it safe" and stay off work to prevent the complaints from worsening or to seek advice from medical professionals. Their advice did not include explicit instructions to stay at home, but were usually interpreted as such. Finally, women, but not men, were likely to call in sick if they felt that their home situation was being negatively affected by attempts to keep working while suffering physical complaints.


CONCLUSIONS
The decision to call in sick is not taken lightly. Employees with nonspecific disorders base their decision on several factors, including advice from medical professionals. A factor found only among women was work-home interference.
Hooftman
Wendela E
WE
Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Westerman
Marjan J
MJ
van der Beek
Allard J
AJ
Bongers
Paulien M
PM
van Mechelen
Willem
W
D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases; D009426:Netherlands; D009784:Occupational Diseases; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data