Work disability negotiations: supervisors’ view of work disability and collaboration with occupational health services

AbstractPurpose: To introduce the Finnish practice of collaboration aiming to enhance work participation, to ask supervisors about its reasons and usefulness, to study supervisors’ needs when they face work disability, and to compare the experiences of supervisors whose profiles differ.Materials and methods: An online questionnaire based on the Finnish practice of collaboration between supervisor and occupational health services (OHS) went to supervisors in six public and private organizations. A total of 254 supervisors responded, of whom, 133 (52%) had collaborated in work disability negotiations, representing a wide variety with differing professional profiles.Results: In their role of managing work disability, supervisors appeared to benefit from three factors: an explicit company disability management (DM) policy, supervisors’ training in DM, and collaboration with OHS. Reasons for work disability negotiations were long or repeated sick-leaves and reduced work performance. Expectations for occupation...