Work as an arena for health—Supervisors’ experiences with attending to employees’ sick leave and return-to-work process

Abstract

Background Supervisors play a pivotal role in the sick leave process. Although responsibility for sick leave and return to work follow-up is increasingly placed on the workplace in Norway, few studies have explored supervisors’ experiences. This study aims to explore supervisors´ experiences with attending to employees’ sick leave and return to work process. Methods This study consists of individual interviews with 11 supervisors from diverse workplaces that was analysed thematically. Results The supervisors emphasised the value of presence at the workplace, the need for them to obtain information and uphold dialogue, considering individual and environmental influences on return-to-work and allocating responsibility. Investing time and money was crucial to prevent or reduce the negative impact of sick leave. Conclusions The supervisors’ perception of attending to sick leave and return-to-work largely reflect Norwegian legislation. However, they find obtaining information and managing responsibility challenging, suggesting that their responsibilities for return-to-work are perhaps disproportionate to their knowledge on attending this process. Individualised support and guidance on how to develop accommodations based on the employee´s workability should be made available. The reciprocal nature of follow-up described also reveals how the return-to-work process is enmeshed with (inter)personal considerations possibly resulting in unequal treatment.