Self-Certified Sickness Absence among Young Municipal Employees-Changes from 2002 to 2016 and Occupational Class Differences.

Hilla Sumanen,Minna Mänty,Olli Pietiläinen

doi:10.3390/ijerph14101131

Abstract

We examined changes in self-certified, one-to-three day sickness absence (SA) among young employees from 2002 to 2016 and the magnitude of occupational class differences during that period. All 18–34-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland were included (2002–2016, n = ~11,725 per year). Employer’s personnel and SA registers were used. Occupational class was categorized to four groups. Changes in self-certified SA from 2002 to 2016 were analyzed with Joinpoint regression and the magnitudes of occupational class differences were estimated with the relative index of inequality (RII). Most of the trends first increased and turned to decrease in 2007/2010. Managers and professionals had the least amount of SA, but steadily increasing trends were observed among men. Self-certified SA followed only partially the typical socioeconomic gradient, as routine non-manuals had the highest levels of SA. The magnitude of occupational class differences in self-certified SA was stable during the study period only among women. Self-certified SA and occupational class differences have increased in recent years among men in the lower occupational classes. Socioeconomic differences exist in self-certified SA among young employees, but gradient is only partial. Overall, high amounts of self-certified SA especially in the lower occupational classes require further studies and preventive measures.

Highlights

Self-certified sickness absence means health-related short-lasting absence from work with an employee’s own notice
With regard to change in self-certified spells, manual workers had slightly decreasing trend during the whole study period (−0.9%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) −1.7, 0.0 annually), while other groups had first increase and decrease in their sickness absence trends (Table 2)
Self‐certified sickness absence trends varied during the study period, most of the trends had a turning sickness absence trends varied during the study period, most of the trends had a turning point point to to decrease in 2007/2010; (2) Managers and professionals had the least amount of self-certified sickness absence, but there was a steadily increasing trend among men; (3) Self-certified sickness absence does not fully follow the typical socioeconomic gradient; (4) The magnitude of occupational class differences in self-certified sickness absence was stable among women, but changed during the study period among men; (5) There were some indications that occupational class differences have increased in recent years among men in the lower occupational classes

Summary

Introduction

Self-certified sickness absence means health-related short-lasting absence from work with an employee’s own notice. Previous evidence suggests that self-certified sickness absence may reflect employees’ perceptions of their health rather than actual disease, and taking short time off work could be considered a type of coping behavior [1,2]. From the employer’s viewpoint self-certified sickness absence may cause problems with lost working hours and difficulties in finding replacements at short notice, especially if the sickness absence spells are frequent [6]. Previous studies show that frequent self-certified sickness absence predicts longer sickness absence spells, they are not trivial for health and work ability [7,8]

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