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Return to Work

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine
  • 65 Accesses

Synonyms

Occupational rehabilitation; Sickness absence; Vocational rehabilitation

Definition

Return-to-work (RTW) status is regarded as a return to normal work-related activity following illness or return to suitable employment that takes account of post-illness ability and priorities.

Description

Scope

Mental illness and musculoskeletal diseases are the most common causes of long-term sickness, although other chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer make a significant contribution to recorded sickness absence. It is estimated that each UK employee loses an estimated 30.4 days of productivity annually as a consequence of sick days or underperformance resulting from ill-health. This is estimated to cost employers between 2 and 16% of annual salary costs due to lost productivity and as a consequence of implementing sickness management systems. In Australia, lost productivity through absenteeism is estimated to cost $33 billion, with a total of 92 million working days being...

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References and Further Reading

  • Cooper, A. F., Hankins, M., Rixon, L., Eaton, E., & Grunfeld, E. A. (2013). Distinct work-related, clinical and psychological factors predict return to work following treatment in four different cancer types. Psychooncology, 22(3), 659–667.

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  • Creed, P. A., Bloxsome, T. D., & Johnston, K. (2001). Self-esteem and self-efficacy outcomes for unemployed individuals attending occupational skills training programs. Community, Work & Family, 4, 285–303.

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  • de Boer, A. G., Taskila, T. K., Tamminga, S. J., et al. (2015). Interventions to enhance return-to-work for cancer patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858. CD007569.

  • Groeneveld, I. F., de Boer, A. G., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. (2012). A multidisciplinary intervention to facilitate return to work in cancer patients: Intervention protocol and design of a feasibility study. BMJ Open, 2, e001321.

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  • Hubbard, G., Gray, N. M., Ayansina, D., et al. (2013). Case management vocational rehabilitation for women with breast cancer after surgery: A feasibility study incorporating a pilot randomised controlled trial. Trials, 14, 175.

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  • Munir, F., Kalawsky, K., Wallis, D. J., et al. (2013). Using intervention mapping to develop a work-related guidance tool for those affected by cancer. BMC Public Health, 13, 6.

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  • Norström, F., Waenerlund, A. K., Lindholm, L., Nygren, R., Sahlén, K. G., & Brydsten, A. (2019). Does unemployment contribute to poorer health-related quality of life among Swedish adults? BMC Public Health, 19(1), 457.

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  • Sumanen, H., Pietilainen, O., Lahelma, E., & Rahkonen, O. (2017). Short sickness absence and subsequent sickness absence due to mental disorders – A follow-up study among municipal employees. BMC Public Health, 17, 15.

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  • Wells, M., Williams, B., Firnigl, D., et al. (2013). Supporting ‘work-related goals’ rather than ‘return to work’ after cancer? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of 25 qualitative studies. Psychooncology, 22, 1208–1219.

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Correspondence to Beth Grunfeld .

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Grunfeld, B. (2020). Return to Work. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_101996-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_101996-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

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