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Returning Employees Back to Work: Developing a Measure for Supervisors to Support Return to Work (SSRW)

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Abstract

Introduction Evidence suggests that supervisors’ behaviors have a strong influence on employees’ health and well-being outcomes. Few have examined the specific behaviors associated with managing an employee back to work following long-term sick leave. This study describes the development of a behavior measure for Supervisors to Support Return to Work (SSRW) using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Methods Qualitative data were collected between 2008 and 2010 from a UK population of organisational stakeholders (N = 142), line managers (N = 20) and employees (N = 26). Data from these samples were used to develop a 42 item questionnaire and to validate it using a further sample of line managers (N = 186) and employees (N = 359). Results Based on a factor structure and reliability results, four scales emerged. The measure demonstrated good internal reliability, construct and concurrent validity. Longitudinal data analyses demonstrated test–retest reliability and promising predictive validity. Conclusions This is a potentially valuable tool in research and in organisational settings, both during long-term sick leave and after employees have returned to work.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all participating organisations and stakeholders for their support. We would also like to thank the line managers and employees who took part. This research was funded by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Global Health and Human Development, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK

    Fehmidah Munir

  2. Affinity Occupational Psychologists, London, SW12 9NW, UK

    Joanna Yarker

  3. Institute for Employment Studies, Sovereign House, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UJ, UK

    Ben Hicks

  4. Affinity Health at Work, 287 Mayall Road, London, SE24 0PQ, UK

    Emma Donaldson-Feilder

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  1. Fehmidah Munir
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  2. Joanna Yarker
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  3. Ben Hicks
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  4. Emma Donaldson-Feilder
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Correspondence to Fehmidah Munir.

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Munir, F., Yarker, J., Hicks, B. et al. Returning Employees Back to Work: Developing a Measure for Supervisors to Support Return to Work (SSRW). J Occup Rehabil 22, 196–208 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-011-9331-3

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