Our results clarify the factors, from a union perspective, that may facilitate or hinder the return-to-work of employees absent from work due to depression.

Introduction Common mental disorders (CMDs) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) lead the list of causes for work absence in several countries. Current research is starting to look at workers on sick leave as a single population, regardless of the nature of the disease or accident. The purpose of this study is to report the validation of the Return to Work Obstacles and Self-Efficacy Scale (ROSES) for people with MSDs and CMDs, based on the disability paradigm. Methods From a prospective design, the ROSES' reliability and validity were investigated in a Canadian sample of workers on sick leave due to MSDs (n = 206) and CMDs (n = 157). Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that 46 items spread out on 10 conceptual dimensions (e.g., Fears of a relapse, Job demands, Difficult relation with the immediate supervisor), with satisfactory alpha coefficients and test-retest reliability for all subscales. Finally, several dimensions of ROSES also predict the participant's RTW within 6 months for MSDs (e.g., job demands), and CMDs (e.g., difficult relation with the immediate supervisor), even when adjusted by several variables (e.g., age, severity of symptoms). Apart from the job demands dimension, when the ROSES dimension is more external to the individual, only the perception of obstacles remains significant to predict RTW whereas it is the opposite result when the dimension is more internal (e.g., fears of a relapse). Conclusion The ROSES demonstrated satisfactory results regarding its validity and reliability with people having MSDs or CMDs, at the time of the return-to-work process.

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Interventions which involve the work environment and concerted action by the various partners seem to require the most investment in terms of energy. The establishment of common principles and shared values regarding work rehabilitation as well as less divided mechanisms for action among the various partners should be considered.

The conditions in which employees were working before they started their leave of absence should be identified; notably (1) relationships with organizational stakeholders (e.g. immediate supervisor, colleagues) and (2) psychosocial risk factors (e.g. work overload, over-commitment). A good relationship between the immediate supervisor and the employee is an important factor to prevent sick leave due to depression. The supervisors should be informed quickly after the first appearance of depressive symptoms in employees in order to implement feasible and appropriate accommodations as soon as possible.

Background In Western countries, work disability due to depression is a widespread problem that generates enormous costs. Objective The goal of this study was to determine the types and prevalence of supervisor contributions during the different phases of the return-to-work (RTW) process (before and during the sick-leave absence, and during the RTW preparations) of employees diagnosed with depression. Moreover, we sought to determine which contributions actually facilitate employees' RTW, and to identify the work accommodations most frequently implemented by supervisors at the actual time of their employee's RTW. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted in Québec (Canada) with 74 supervisors working with employees who were already back at work or still on sick leave due to depression. A sub-sample of 46 supervisors who had already taken measures to facilitate their employees' RTW was questioned about the work accommodations implemented. Results Most of the supervisors got along well with their employees before their sick leave and 72% stayed in contact with them during their leave. Nearly 90% of the supervisors encouraged their employees to focus primarily on their recovery before their RTW, but 43% pressured their employees to RTW as soon as possible. Cox regression analyses performed for the entire sample revealed that "the supervisors' intention to take measures to facilitate their employees' RTW" was the only significant predictor of the RTW at the time of the interview. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that 50% of the employees were expected to RTW within the first 8 months of absence. Four of the most frequently implemented work accommodations were actions directly involving the supervisor (i.e. providing assistance, feedback, recognition, and emotional support to the employee). Conclusions This study shed light on the less explored point of view of the supervisor involved in the RTW process of employees post-depression. It highlighted the most frequent and effective supervisor contributions to the process. These results can be used to develop concrete action plans for training supervisors to contribute to the sustainable RTW of employees on sick leave due to depression.

The contribution of work in the occurrence of mental health problems prompts us to question the conditions which favour a successful return to work. The goals of this study are to describe the profile of workers who have been absent due to a mental health problem and to compare those who returned to those who did not, and those for whom there was resolution or non resolution of their health problem. This study among public sector employees was cross-sectional. Data was collected using mailed questionnaires and analyses were performed for 1850 respondents. The results show a significant difference between those who were back at work and those who were not, based on the cause they reported for their absence from work. Improved working conditions accompanying return to work may be a major determinant of health recovery and successful return to work, and ensure job retention.Au cours des dernières décennies, les milieux de travail ont connu de grands bouleversements qui ne sont pas sans effets sur la capacité de travail et de maintien en emploi des individus, mais aussi sur leur santé mentale. Selon Vinet (2004), la hausse vertigineuse des absences en raison d’un problème de santé mentale au travail et la hausse proportionnelle des primes d’assurance collective qui s’ensuit témoignent de l’ampleur et de la profondeur de ce phénomène. Les problèmes de santé mentale au travail représentent actuellement l’une des plus importantes causes d’absence au travail, et ce phénomène a connu une croissance marquée au cours des dernières années (Banham, 1992 ; Conti et Burton, 1994 ; Gabriel et Liimatainen, 2000 ; Karttunen, 1995 ; Vézina, 1996 ; Vézina et Bourbonnais, 2001 ; Nystuen, Hagen et Herrin, 2001). Ils peuvent avoir des effets particulièrement incapacitants et entraînent généralement de longues périodes d’invalidité, ces problèmes sont persistants en plus de comporter un risque élevé de rechutes (Conti et Burton, 1994 ; Druss, Schlesinger et Allen, 2001). Des études ont montré que la durée d’une incapacité de travail à la suite d’une dépression serait environ deux fois et demie plus longue que celle occasionnée par d’autres maladies (Gabriel et Liimatainen, 2000). Aussi, l’absence de mesures de soutien lors de la réinsertion professionnelle peut conduire à la construction d’une incapacité permanente de travail et mener à la marginalisation et à l’exclusion sociale. Malgré l’ampleur des absences au travail et l’inquiétude que peut susciter ce phénomène, les études sur la réinsertion professionnelle des travailleurs qui s’absentent en raison d’un problème de santé psychologique demeurent parcellaires. Aussi, les objectifs de cette étude sont, d’une part, de décrire le profil des travailleurs qui se sont absentés en raison d’un problème de santé mentale et, d’autre part, de les comparer selon l’issue de leur réinsertion professionnelle, soit le retour ou non au travail et la résolution ou non de leur problème de santé.Cette étude a été réalisée à l’aide d’un questionnaire auprès d’employés des secteurs publique et parapubli...

Purpose This paper aims to examine the experience of women entrepreneurs and the challenges and issues they face in reconciling the work activities of the family sphere with those of the entrepreneurial sphere. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a materialist feminist perspective and a theory of living work that take into account the visible and invisible dimensions of the real work performed by women entrepreneurs. The methodology is based on a qualitative research design involving individual and group interviews conducted with 70 women entrepreneurs. Findings The results show the various individual and collective strategies deployed by women entrepreneurs to reconcile the work activities of the family and entrepreneurial spheres. Originality/value One of the major findings emerging from the results of this study relates to the re-appropriation of the world of work and organization of work by women entrepreneurs and its emancipatory potential for the division of labour. Through the authority and autonomy they possessed as business owners, and with their employees’ cooperation, they integrated and internalized tasks related to the work activities of the family sphere into the organization of work itself. Thus, not only new forms of work organization and cooperation at work but also new ways of conceiving of entrepreneurship as serving women’s life choices and emancipation could be seen to be emerging.