title: A novel approach to early sickness absence management: The EASY (Early Access to Support for You) way.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sickness absence (SA) is multi-causal and remains a significant problem for employees, employers and society. This makes it necessary to concurrently manage a particular disabling condition and consider the working environment and employee-employer relationship.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe and examine the components of a novel SA management service Early Access to Support for You (EASY) and discuss their potential influence on the intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new sickness absence model, starting from day one of absence, was created called EASY. EASY is planned to support both employees and managers and comprises elements already found to be associated with reduction of SA, such as maintaining regular contact; early biopsychosocial case-management; physiotherapy; mental-health counselling; work modification; phased return-to-work; and health promotion activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the EASY implementation period, the SA rate at a health board reversed its trend of being one of the highest rates in the Scottish National Health Service (NHS) and EASY was considered helpful by both managers and employees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper describes an innovative occupational health intervention to sickness absence management based on the bio-psychosocial model to provide early intervention, and discusses the pros and cons of applying cognitive behavioural principles at an early stage in sickness-absence events, in order to improve return-to-work outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Working Lives Group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demou
authors.affiliation: Healthy Working Lives Group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Healthy Working Lives Group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Kaveh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sanati
authors.affiliation: Salus, Occupational Health, Safety & Return to Work Services, Hamilton, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Salus, Occupational Health, Safety & Return to Work Services, Hamilton, UK.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Healthy Working Lives Group, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Ewan B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Macdonald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019090:Case Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs; D016272:Occupational Health; D016730:Program Development; D062707:Return to Work; D012606:Scotland; D018582:Sick Leave; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Intervention; rehabilitation; return-to-work; sickness absence; sickness absence management