Literature data about all-cause and cause-specific mortality among professional drivers are inconsistent. Most studies report lower all-cause and higher cause-specific mortality. Higher ...cause-specific mortality is most often the result of malignant and circulatory diseases. The aim of our retrospective cohort study was to get a better insight into the mortality, cancer incidence, and occupational disability of the entire professional driver population in Slovenia (N=8,231) from 1997 to 2016 through standardised mortality ratio (SMR), standardised proportional mortality ratio (SPMR), standardised cancer incidence ratio (SIR), and standardised disability ratio (SDR). Total mortality was significantly lower than that of the general working population (SMR=0.49; 95 % CI=0.44–0.55). When SPMR was calculated, however, the risk of all-cause mortality increased to 1 (SPMR=1.00; 95 % CI=0.89–1.12), of cancer-related mortality to 1.13 (95 % CI=0.94–1.35), and of injury-related mortality to 1.25 (95 % CI=0.97–1.59). Cancer incidence was lower than in the general male working population for all types of cancer (SIR=0.66; 95 % CI=0.59–0.72), lung cancer included (SIR=0.56; 95 % CI=0.41–0.73). Occupational all-cause and cause-specific disability were also lower than in the rest of the working population. Even though all types of cancer and injuries were established among professional drivers in Slovenia, no major risk stand out. However, our findings may have been skewed by the healthy worker effect.
As a by-product or material used in various industries crystalline silica contaminates the air many occupational settings. If its fine particles are inhaled, they are deposited in the lungs and may ...cause the development of silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The goal of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in Slovenia and the associated health risks. To do that, we ran two cross-sectional studies, one to determine the number of workers at risk of occupational exposure to RCS in Slovene industries and the other to determine and classify changes in the lung radiographs of glass factory workers exposed to RCS, as a means to infer health risks for other RCS exposed workers in Slovenia. However, the first study shows that official public data on occupational exposure to silica in Slovenia are unreliable and incomplete and that company representatives strongly underestimate occupational exposure to silica. Measurements of total and silica dust are made by 8.3 % and 1.8 % of companies working with silica, respectively. The second study shows that about a third of the exposed workers had lung changes associated with silicosis. We have failed to achieve the goal of our study, as the obtained data are grossly underestimated and unreliable, but it has opened our eyes as to what needs to be improved. All companies need to systematically be informed about occupational health risks, field inspections need to be consistent, regular, and intensified, and health surveillance of all exposed workers implemented regularly.
Objectives. Alongside individual indicators of job performance, even workers’ health status could be a criterion for selection. The mechanisms for health selection are a reduction of productivity in ...relation to illness or certain health behaviour. The aim of the study was to establish how indicators of workers’ health status, which are accessible to the employer, influence the employer’s decision-making on which workers to retain and which to dismiss during personnel restructuring in the enterprise.
Methods. Due to a planned closure of a plant, the observed company began personnel restructuring which included a strategic decrease in the number of employees and the relocation of workers within the company. Two nested case control studies were conducted. The cases were divided into two groups and defined as follows: employees who were relocated and employees whose employment contract was terminated.
Results. The results show that the disability category and long-time sick leave exert the greatest influence on the employer’s decision on the selection of workers. Workers with work-related disability have lower odds to be relocated to a new workplace (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.1) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=6.51; 95% CI 3.33 to 12.72). The workers with a history of a long-time sick leave also have lower odds to be relocated (OR=0.31; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.88) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=4.32; 95% CI 2.08 to 8.96).
Conclusions. Indicators of health which were accessible to the employer actually exerted influence on the employer’s decision-making, which could show a direct form of health selection.
Izhodišča. V času gospodarskega prestrukturiranja in krize je veliko delavcev odpuščenih ali premeščenih na nova delovna mesta. Na odločitev delodajalca, koga bo odpustil in koga premestil, lahko vpliva tudi zdravje delavca. Cilj raziskave je ugotoviti, kako objektivni kazalci zdravstvenega stanja delavcev, do katerih ima delodajalec dostop, vplivajo na odločanje, kdo bo premeščen na drugo delovno mesto in kdo odpuščen.
Metode. Značilno slovensko podjetje s 1000 zaposlenimi je v letu 2005 začelo kadrovsko prestrukturiranje, ki je vključevalo zmanjševanje števila zaposlenih in premeščanje na druga delovna mesta znotraj podjetja. Narejeni sta bili dve vgnezdeni študiji primerov s kontrolami. Kot primera sta bili definirani dve skupini delavcev: tisti, ki jih je delodajalec v opazovanem obdobju premestil na drugo delovno mesto in tisti, ki jim je odpovedal pogodbo o zaposlitvi iz poslovnega razloga. Kontrole so bili delavci iz preostale kohorte, usklajeni po socialnem statusu, spolu in starosti.
Rezultati. Rezultati kažejo, da na odločitev delodajalca o izbiri delavcev najbolj vplivata kategorija invalidnosti in dolgotrajni bolniški stalež. Delovni invalidi imajo manjše obete, da bodo premeščeni na novo delovno mesto (RO=0.5; 95% IZ 0.2-11), in večje, da bodo odpuščeni (RO=6.51; 95% IZ 3.33-12.72). Tudi delavci, ki so bili v bolniškem staležu ≥ 30 dni, imajo manjše obete, da bodo premeščeni (RO=0.31; 95 % IZ 0.11-0.88), in večje, da bodo odpuščeni (RO=4.32; 95% IZ 2.08 - 8.96).
Zaključek. V raziskavi smo dokazali, da kazalniki zdravja, do katerih ima dostop delodajalec, vplivajo na odločanje delodajalca v procesu prestrukturiranja podjetja, kar kaže na neposredno obliko selekcije zaradi zdravstvenega stanja.
Background: Low back pain is a major health issue in developed countries. In the last twenty years, costs related to medical treatment, absenteeism, and disability have increased and thus represent a ...burden not only for employers but also for the society as a whole. Th e objective of our research is to examine the impact of low back pain on temporary incapacity for work. Methods: In our study we have included all infi rmary patients, Talum employees, who visited the infi rmary in year 2008 due to low back pain, according to International Classifi cation of Diseases (1995) designated by the codes M 54.4 – Lumbago with sciatica, and M 54.5 – Low back pain (low pain, low back strain, lumbago). Th e data were obtained from the participants’ medical records. Sick leave was calculated by means of Severity Index (the number of days lost to one sick leave). Results: Th e research results have shown that the implementation of preventive physiotherapy had a benefi cial eff ect on the sick leave severity index. Th e index of the observed population was 20.85 and as such considerably lower than the Slovenian average in every category. Conclusions: Working condition and healthy life style infl uence sick leave due to low back pain. In order to improve working capacity of their workers and reduce the costs of medical treatment; conscious employers will actively support various programmes to improve both of them.
Objectives. Alongside individual indicators of job performance, even a worker’s health status could be a criterion for selection. The mechanism for health selection is a reduction in productivity in ...relation to illness or certain health behaviour. Due to personal data protection, employers usually do not know how healthy or sick the employees are; that is why their decisions are based on the health indicators accessible to them. These are: sick leave, approved occupational doctor’s certificate (medical certificate) and disability category. The aim of the study was to establish how indicators of a worker’s health status accessible to the employer influence the employer’s decision-making on which workers to retain and which to dismiss during personnel restructuring in the enterprise. Methods. Due to a planned closure of a plant, the observed company began personnel restructuring which included a strategic decrease in the number of employees and the relocation of workers within the company. We conducted the case study in which four nested case control studies were embedded. The initial observed population is comprised of 885 workers who were employed in the observed company on a permanent basis on January 1, 2005 for at least a year. The cases were divided into two groups and defined as follows: employees who were relocated and employees whose employment contract was terminated. Results. The results show that the disability category and long-time sick leave exert the greatest influence on the employer’s decision on the selection of workers. Workers with work-related disability have lower odds to be relocated to a new workplace and higher odds to be dismissed. The workers with a history of long-time sick leave also have lower odds to be relocated and higher odds to be dismissed. Conclusions. Indicators of health which were accessible to the employer actually exerted influence on the employer’s decision-making, which could show a direct form of health selection.
Alongside individual indicators of job performance, even workers' health status could be a criterion for selection. The mechanisms for health selection are a reduction of productivity in relation to ...illness or certain health behaviour. The aim of the study was to establish how indicators of workers' health status, which are accessible to the employer, influence the employer's decision-making on which workers to retain and which to dismiss during personnel restructuring in the enterprise.
Due to a planned closure of a plant, the observed company began personnel restructuring which included a strategic decrease in the number of employees and the relocation of workers within the company. Two nested case control studies were conducted. The cases were divided into two groups and defined as follows: employees who were relocated and employees whose employment contract was terminated.
The results show that the disability category and long-time sick leave exert the greatest influence on the employer's decision on the selection of workers. Workers with work-related disability have lower odds to be relocated to a new workplace (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.1) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=6.51; 95% CI 3.33 to 12.72). The workers with a history of a long-time sick leave also have lower odds to be relocated (OR=0.31; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.88) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=4.32; 95% CI 2.08 to 8.96).
Indicators of health which were accessible to the employer actually exerted influence on the employer's decision-making, which could show a direct form of health selection.
Background: Low back pain is a major health issue in developed countries. In the last twenty years, costs related to medical treatment, absenteeism, and disability have increased and thus represent a ...burden not only for employers but also for the society as a whole. Th e objective of our research is to examine the impact of low back pain on temporary incapacity for work. Methods: In our study we have included all infi rmary patients, Talum employees, who visited the infi rmary in year 2008 due to low back pain, according to International Classifi cation of Diseases (1995) designated by the codes M 54.4 - Lumbago with sciatica, and M 54.5 - Low back pain (low pain, low back strain, lumbago). Th e data were obtained from the participants' medical records. Sick leave was calculated by means of Severity Index (the number of days lost to one sick leave). Results: Th e research results have shown that the implementation of preventive physiotherapy had a benefi cial eff ect on the sick leave severity index. Th e index of the observed population was 20.85 and as such considerably lower than the Slovenian average in every category. Conclusions: Working condition and healthy life style infl uence sick leave due to low back pain. In order to improve working capacity of their workers and reduce the costs of medical treatment; conscious employers will actively support various programmes to improve both of them.
Izhodišča. V času gospodarskega prestrukturiranja in krize je veliko delavcev odpuščenih ali premeščenih na nova delovna mesta. Na odločitev delodajalca, koga bo odpustil in koga premestil, lahko ...vpliva tudi zdravje delavca. Zaradi varovanja osebnih podatkov delodajalci praviloma ne vedo, kako zdravi ali bolni so delavci, zato se pri védenju o tem lahko odločajo le na podlagi kazalnikov zdravja, ki so jim dostopni. Ti so: bolniški dopust, spričevalo pooblaščenega zdravnika in kategorija invalidnosti. Cilj raziskave je ugotoviti, kako objektivni kazalci zdravstvenega stanja delavcev, do katerih ima delodajalec dostop, vplivajo na odločanje delodajalca v procesu kadrovskega prestrukturiranja podjetja (premeščanje/odpuščanje). Metode. Značilno slovensko podjetje s 1000 zaposlenimi je v letu 2005 začelo kadrovsko prestrukturiranje, ki je vključevalo zmanjševanje števila zaposlenih in premeščanje na druga delovna mesta znotraj podjetja. Narejene so bile štiri vgnezdene študije primerov s kontrolami. Izhodiščno opazovano populacijo predstavlja 885 delavcev, ki so bili na dan 1. 1. 2005 vsaj eno leto zaposleni za nedoločen čas v opazovani tipični delniški družbi. Kot primera sta bili opredeljeni dve skupini delavcev: delavci, ki jih je delodajalec v opazovanem obdobju premestil na drugo delovno mesto, in delavci, ki jim je odpovedal pogodbo o zaposlitvi zaradi poslovnega razloga. Kontrola so bili delavci iz preostale kohorte, usklajeni po socialnem statusu, spolu in starosti. Rezultati. Rezultati kažejo, da na odločitev delodajalca o izbiri delavcev najbolj vplivata kategorija invalidnosti in dolgotrajni bolniški dopust. Delovni invalidi in delavci, ki so bili na bolniškem dopustu č 30 dni, imajo manj možnosti, da bodo premeščeni na novo delovno mesto, in več, da bodo odpuščeni. Multivariatna analiza je pokazala, da se obeti za prenehanje delovnega razmerja povečajo v prisotnosti dveh dejavnikov tveganja (bolniški dopust č 30 dni in omejitev zmožnosti za delo). Zaključek. V raziskavi smo dokazali, da kazalniki zdravja, do katerih ima dostop delodajalec, vplivajo na odločanje delodajalca v procesu prestrukturiranja podjetja, kar kaže na direktno obliko zdravstvene selekcije.
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