BACKGROUND: Little empirical examination of the relationship
between work organisational factors and return to work following injury has
been undertaken despite the growing recognition of examining broader
multi-dimensional contexts for recovery following injury.
OBJECTIVE: To explore relationships between pre-injury work
organisational factors and work status (working/work absent) 3-month after
injury among people employed prior to injury.
METHODS: Cases (work absent) and controls (working), selected from
a larger study of injury outcomes according to reported work status 3-month
after injury, completed a postal questionnaire. Work organisational factors
were compared between cases and controls using univariate and multivariable
analyses.
RESULTS: One hundred and twelve participants completed the
questionnaire (44 cases; 68 controls). Of 11 work organisation factors
examined, organisational size was the only explanatory variable
significantly associated with work status in the multivariable model. Higher
odds of work absence were found in small (< 50 employees) (OR 5.6) and large
(> 500 employees) (OR 7.2) workplaces, compared with medium-sized (50-500 employees) organisations.
CONCLUSIONS: Variations in post-injury work patterns among those
working pre-injury may be partly explained by organisation size. Future
research examining work status following injury should examine the influence
of work organisational factors in larger studies.
