Dual impact of organisational change on subsequent exit from work unit and sickness absence: A longitudinal study among public healthcare employees

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dual impact of organisational change on subsequent exit from work unit and sickness absence

T2 - A longitudinal study among public healthcare employees

AU - Jensen, Johan Høy

AU - Flachs, Esben Meulengracht

AU - Skakon, Janne

AU - Rod, Naja Hulvej

AU - Bonde, Jens Peter

PY - 2018/7/1

Y1 - 2018/7/1

N2 - Objectives: We investigated work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence following organisational change among public healthcare employees. Methods: The study population comprised employees from the Capital Region of Denmark (n=14 388). Data on reorganisation at the work-unit level (merger, demerger, relocation, change of management, employee layoff or budget cut) between July and December 2013 were obtained via surveys distributed to the managers of each work unit. Individual-level data on work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence (≥29 days) in 2014 were obtained from company registries. For exposure to any, each type or number of reorganisations (1, 2 or ≥3), the HRs and 95% CIs for subsequent work-unit exit were estimated by Cox regression, and the risk for total and long-term sickness absence were estimated by zero-inflated Poisson regression. Results: Reorganisation was associated with subsequent work-unit exit (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.19) in the year after reorganisation. This association was specifically important for exposure to ≥3 types of changes (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.79), merger (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.49), demerger (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71) or change of management (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38). Among the employees remaining in the work unit, reorganisation was also associated with more events of long-term sickness absence (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.33), which was particularly important for merger (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.72) and employee layoff (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.59). Conclusions: Specific types of reorganisation seem to have a dual impact on subsequent work-unit exit and sickness absence in the year after change.

AB - Objectives: We investigated work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence following organisational change among public healthcare employees. Methods: The study population comprised employees from the Capital Region of Denmark (n=14 388). Data on reorganisation at the work-unit level (merger, demerger, relocation, change of management, employee layoff or budget cut) between July and December 2013 were obtained via surveys distributed to the managers of each work unit. Individual-level data on work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence (≥29 days) in 2014 were obtained from company registries. For exposure to any, each type or number of reorganisations (1, 2 or ≥3), the HRs and 95% CIs for subsequent work-unit exit were estimated by Cox regression, and the risk for total and long-term sickness absence were estimated by zero-inflated Poisson regression. Results: Reorganisation was associated with subsequent work-unit exit (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.19) in the year after reorganisation. This association was specifically important for exposure to ≥3 types of changes (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.79), merger (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.49), demerger (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71) or change of management (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38). Among the employees remaining in the work unit, reorganisation was also associated with more events of long-term sickness absence (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.33), which was particularly important for merger (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.72) and employee layoff (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.59). Conclusions: Specific types of reorganisation seem to have a dual impact on subsequent work-unit exit and sickness absence in the year after change.

KW - health care workers

KW - organizational change

KW - reorganization

KW - sickness absence

KW - turnover

U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2017-104865

DO - 10.1136/oemed-2017-104865

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29760173

AN - SCOPUS:85047968963

SN - 1351-0711

VL - 75

SP - 479

EP - 485

JO - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

IS - 7

ER -