title: Policy on manager involvement in work re-integration: managers' experiences in a Canadian setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Canada and other countries, sickness absence among workers is a significant concern. Local return-to-work policies developed by both management and workers' representatives are preferred to tackle the problem.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article examines how managers perceive this local bipartite agreed upon return-to-work policy, wherein a social constructivist view on the policy process is taken.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-depth interviews were held with 10 managers on their experiences with execution of this policy in a Canadian healthcare organization. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitative analyses were completed to gain deep insight into the managers' perspectives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show that the managers viewed themselves as a linchpin between the workplace and the worker. They did not feel heard by the other stakeholders, wrestled with worker's limitations, struggled getting plans adjusted and became overextended to meet return-to-work objectives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that the managers felt unable to meet the responsibilities the policy demanded and got less involved in the return-to-work process than this policy intended. RTW policy needs to balance on the one hand, flexibility to safeguard active involvement of managers and, on the other hand, strictness regarding taking responsibility by stakeholders, particularly the health care and re-integration professionals.
authors.affiliation: Care And Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maiwald
authors.affiliation: CAPHRI, Department of Health Ethics and Society, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meershoek
authors.affiliation: Care And Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Rijk
authors.affiliation: CAPHRI, Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans J N
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Nijhuis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010559:Personnel Management; D062707:Return to Work; D018582:Sick Leave
keywords: Discretionary space; managers' perspectives; return-to-work; sickness absence; social constructivist policy analysis