Workload, work ability and sickness absence in the food industry

Workload, work ability and sickness absence in the food industry

The overall purpose is monitoring data to find out how the work load and the atmosphere of the work community affect work ability, presenteeism and sickness absence in one of the largest food industry companies in Finland (Saarioinen Oy). The workers age is specifically in mind while following up the data. In addition the effect on work ability and well-being at work by changes in the operational environment and work policies are studied.

The data of the follow-up consist at this moment of registered sickness absence data from 2002-2008 and surveys that have been done 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. Focus group interviews has been used to get qualitative data about sickness absence and its associations with operational and work cultural environment and work policies.

Research group:

Responsible researcher

Professor Clas-Håkan Nygård, clas-hakan.nygard(at)uta.fi, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere

Researchers

Anna Siukola, anna.siukola(at)uta.fi, University of Tampere

Subas Neupane, subas.neupane(at)uta.fi,  University of Tampere

Doctoral student

Kimmo Vänni, kimmo.vanni(at)tamk.fi, Tampere University of Applied Sciences

Selected publications:

Siukola A, Virtanen P, Huhtala H, Nygård C-H.  Absenteeism following a workplace intervention for older food industry workers. Occup Med (Lond) (2011) doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqr069 First published online: June 27, 2011

S. Neupane, H. Miranda, P. Virtanen, A. Siukola and C.-H. Nygård. Multi-site pain and work ability among an industrial Population. Occupational Medicine. Advanced access published August 2011.

Virtanen P. Siukola A,  Luukkaala T,  Savinainen M,  Arola H, Nygård C-H, Kivimäki M, Helenius H, Vahtera J. Sick leaves in four factories-do characteristics of employees and work conditions explain differences in sickness absence between workplaces?  Scand J Work Environ Health 2008; 34(4):260-

Subas Neupane1, Päivi Leino-Arjas2, Clas-Håkan Nygård1, Jodi Oakman3, Pekka Virtanen1 Developmental pathways of multisite musculoskeletal pain: What is the influence of physical and psychosocial working conditions? Int Arch Occup Environ Health. Occupational and environmental medicine (2016) DOI 10.1136/oemed-2016-103892

Oakman J, Neupane S, Nygård C-H. Does age matter in predicting musculoskeletal disorder risks? An analysis of work place risks over 4 years. Int Arch Occup Environ Health (2016) 89:1127-1136