Protection of pregnant women at work in Switzerland: practices, obstacles and resources. A mixed-methods study protocol

Abstract

IntroductionLike most industrialised countries, Switzerland has introduced legislation to protect the health of pregnant workers and their unborn children from workplace exposure. This legislation provides for a risk assessment, adaptations to workplaces and, if the danger is not eliminated, preventive leave (prescribed by a gynaecologist). This study’s first objective is to analyse the degree to which companies, gynaecologists and midwives implement the law. Its second objective is to understand the obstacles and resources of this implementation, with a focus on how relevant stakeholders perceive protective measures and their involvement with them.Methods and analysisData will be collected using mixed methods: (1) online questionnaires for gynaecologists and midwives; telephone questionnaires with company human resources (HR) managers in the healthcare and food production sectors; (2a) case studies of 6–8 companies in each sector, including interviews with stakeholders such as women workers, HR managers and occupational health physicians; (2b) two focus groups, one involving occupational physicians and hygienists, one involving labour inspectors.Quantitative data will be analysed statistically using STATA software V.15. Qualitative data will be transcribed and thematically analysed using MaxQDA software.Ethics and disseminationThe Human Research Ethics Committee of the Canton Vaud (CER-VD) has certified that this research study protocol falls outside of the field of application of the Swiss Federal Act on Research Involving Humans.The publications and recommendations resulting from this study will form the starting point for future improvements to the protection of pregnant women at work and their unborn children.This study started in February 2017 and will continue until January 2020.

Maternity Protection at Work and Safety Climate: The Perceptions of Managers and Employees in Three Healthcare Institutions in Switzerland

“…This study was part of a broader research project (Krief et al, 2018) investigating the application of maternity protection measures in Switzerland. In the project's initial phase, managers of 107 healthcare institutions answered a telephone questionnaire investigating their implementation of the OProMa (Abderhalden-Zellweger et al, 2021).…”

“…Switzerland has also passed specific legislation to protect the health of pregnant employees while enabling them to continue their professional activities (see Section 1.3). Proper implementation of the measures provided for by these pieces of legislation would not only efficiently protect pregnant workers from several of the risks that they face (Croteau, Marcoux, & Brisson, 2006) but also reduce rates of absenteeism during pregnancies (Kristensen et al, 2008;Pedersen et al, 2020). Several studies have identified organizations' shortcomings in the implementation of maternity protection measures, including the absence of a risk assessment and the absence, or inadequacy, of workplace accommodation (Adams et al, 2016a(Adams et al, , 2016bLembrechts & Valgaeren, 2010;Rudin et al, 2018).…”

Predictors of the return to work for pregnant employees on preventive leave: Patients from an occupational medicine consultation in Switzerland

“…In the context of French-speaking Switzerland, a recent study carried out in two occupational sectors shows that only 12% of workers in the health sector and 2% in the food industry benefit from the protection in accordance with the Swiss legislation [9]. Companies apply the legislation in a heterogeneous/partial manner and gynecologists dot not always feel competent in occupational health issues to assess the hazardousness of working conditions of pregnant women [5,[9][10][11]. At the international level, publications underline the heterogeneous applications of the legislations surrounding maternity protection at work.…”