Stress Leave and Return to Work

Abstract

The now long-standing recognition that work in the human service area involves particular risks of psychological stress leading to physical and mental health problems (Ganster & Schaubroeck, 1991; Leiter, 1991; Maslach & Schaufeli, 1993; Sauter, Murphy & Hurrell, 1990), has not been accompanied by a corresponding growth in our understanding of how to modify the work environment in ways which will prevent or reduce these risks. Research has tended to focus on physical rather than psychological injuries, on rehabilitation rather than on prevention, and on samples of survivors who remain in the organisation rather than on stress-leave claimants (Kenny, 1995). At the same time the costs of work-related stress and the associated leave and compensation claims may be very large, not only in terms of psychological distress in the affected workers, but also financially for the organisation (Kompier & Cooper, 1999). The present study aimed to explore predictors of stress-related leave and compensation claims in the agency.