Suitable work ability (Personal factor for workers with an MSD)

Interpretation of the “Suitable work ability” factor

Positive recovery expectations positively influence RTW or sickness absence duration.

Definition of the “Suitable work ability” factor

Short definition: Work ability may be defined as employees’ capacity to perform their work while also meeting their job demands (Ilmarinen et Tuomi, 2004).

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Suitable work ability positively influences RTW in workers with an MSD (Haldorsen, Indahl et Ursin, 1998; Sampere et al., 2012; Wåhlin, Ekberg, Persson, Bernfort et Oberg, 2012). Inherent in the above definition is that work ability (WA) is not only a function of one’s personal capacities, including physical and mental abilities (Lederer, Loisel, Rivard et Champagne, 2014), but also of the requirements of the job. Since WA is defined as the ability (or resources) to perform one’s job while meeting work demands (Ilmarinen et Tuomi, 2004), it logically fits into the « job demands-resources model » (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner et Schaufeli, 2001). Moreover, a meta-analysis showed that high professional and personal resources are associated with high WA, and that high professional demands are associated with reduced WA (Brady et al., 2020). This provides strong support for conceptualizing WA through the lens of the job demands-resources model.

Brady, G. M., Truxillo, D. M., Cadiz, D. M., Rineer, J. R., Caughlin, D. E. et Bodner, T. (2020). Opening the black box: Examining the nomological network of work ability and its role in organizational research. J Appl Psychol, 105(6), 637-670. doi: 10.1037/apl0000454

Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F. et Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. J Appl Psychol, 86(3), 499-512.

Haldorsen, E. M., Indahl, A. et Ursin, H. (1998). Patients with low back pain not returning to work. A 12-month follow-up study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 23(11), 1202-1207; discussion 1208. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199806010-00004

Ilmarinen, J. et Tuomi, K. (2004). Past, present and future of work ability. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Lederer, V., Loisel, P., Rivard, M. et Champagne, F. (2014). Exploring the Diversity of Conceptualizations of Work (Dis)ability: A Scoping Review of Published Definitions. J Occup Rehabil, 24(2), 242-267.

Sampere, M., Gimeno, D., Serra, C., Plana, M., López, J. C., Martínez, J. M., . . . Benavides, F. G. (2012). Return to work expectations of workers on long-term non-work-related sick leave. J Occup Rehabil, 22(1), 15-26. doi: 10.1007/s10926-011-9313-5

Wåhlin, C., Ekberg, K., Persson, J., Bernfort, L. et Oberg, B. (2012). Association between clinical and work-related interventions and return-to-work for patients with musculoskeletal or mental disorders. J Rehabil Med, 44(4), 355-362. doi: 10.2340/16501977-0951

Tools for measuring the “Suitable work ability” factor