caa a22 4500 606210776 CHVBK 20210128101035.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150301xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10926-014-9526-5 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10926-014-9526-5 Early-Return-to-Work in the Context of an Intensification of Working Life and Changing Employment Relationships [Elektronische Daten] [Ida Seing, Ellen MacEachen, Christian Ståhl, Kerstin Ekberg] Purpose Many Western welfare states have introduced early-return-to-work policies, in which getting sick-listed people back to work before they have fully recovered is presented as a rather unproblematic approach. This reflects a belief in the ability of employers and the labour market to solve sickness absence. Against this background, the aim of this study was to analyse return-to-work practice in local workplace contexts, in relation to Swedish early-return-to-work policy. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 matched pairs of workers and managers. The material, comprising a total of 36 interviews, was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Three main themes were identified: (1) intensive workplaces and work conditions (2) employer support—a function of worker value and (3) work attachment and resistance to job transition. The results reflected the intensity of modern working life, which challenged return-to-work processes. Managers had different approaches to workers' return-to-work, depending on how they valued the worker. While managers used the discourse of ‘new opportunities' and ‘healthy change' to describe the transition process (e.g. relocation, unemployment and retirement), workers regularly experienced transitions as difficult and unjust. Conclusions In the context of early-return-to-work policy and the intensity of modern working life, a great deal of responsibility was placed on workers to be adaptable to workplace demands in order to be able to return and stay at work. Overall, this study illustrates an emerging social climate where sick-listed workers are positioned as active agents who must take responsibility for sick leave and return-to-work process. Springer Science+Business Media New York, 2014 Social policy nationallicence Return-to-work nationallicence Sick leave nationallicence Work place nationallicence Career mobility nationallicence Seing Ida Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut MacEachen Ellen School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada aut Ståhl Christian Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut Ekberg Kerstin Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com 25/1(2015-03-01), 74-85 1053-0487 25:1<74 2015 25 10926 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9526-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-014-9526-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Seing Ida Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- MacEachen Ellen School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ståhl Christian Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ekberg Kerstin Department of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com 25/1(2015-03-01), 74-85 1053-0487 25:1<74 2015 25 10926