Returning and staying connected to work after long-term sickness absence.
BACKGROUND
Returning to work (RTW) after long-term sickness absence is a challenge for convalescent workers, co-workers, managers and organizations. Few studies have investigated the post-return phase after long-term sickness absence.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the RTW process as experienced by returning workers, co-workers and managers at an emergency care service and a waste disposal company, exploring various perspectives related to early RTW before full recovery and changes in the returning workers' work positions.


METHODS
An ethnographic field work design was employed. Returning workers with musculoskeletal disorders, co-workers and managers at two different workplaces participated in individual and group interviews and underwent participant observation over 5 months. These were repeated in a 2-week period after a 4-month interval. Grounded theory analysis was used to identify themes of importance.


RESULTS
Four main themes were identified: (1) return before full recovery, (2) changes in work tasks, (3) changes in work position and (4) individual responsibility.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results illustrate how returning workers, co-workers and managers at two workplaces experienced the RTW process. The results highlight some of the challenges that occur when returning at an early stage before full recovery is obtained leading to changes in the returning worker's work position.
Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Nils Jernes Vej 12, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark, ksp@hst.aau.dk.
K S
KS
Petersen
Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aarhus University and DEFACTUM, Central Region Denmark, P.P. Oerums Gade 9-11, Building 1B, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
M
M
Labriola
Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aarhus University and DEFACTUM, Central Region Denmark, P.P. Oerums Gade 9-11, Building 1B, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
C V
CV
Nielsen
Unit for Health Promotion Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark Esbjerg, Niels Bohrs Vej 9, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark.
E
E
Ladekjaer Larsen
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020127:Recovery of Function; D062707:Return to Work / Q000523:psychology*; D018582:Sick Leave; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
Qualitative research; return to work; sickness absence; work places.