Citation

Choi K, Maas ET, Koehoorn M, McLeod CB. Occup. Environ. Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/oemed-2019-106211

PMID

31959636

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined time to return-to-work (RTW) among direct healthcare and social workers with violence-related incidents compared with these workers with non-violence-related incidents in British Columbia, Canada.

METHODS: Accepted workers' compensation lost-time claims were extracted between 2010 and 2014. Workers with violence-related incidents and with non-violence-related incidents were matched using coarsened exact matching (n=5762). The outcome was days until RTW within 1 year after the first day of time loss, estimated with Cox regression using piecewise models, stratified by injury type, occupation, care setting and shift type.

RESULTS: Workers with violence-related incidents, compared with workers with non-violence-related incidents, were more likely to RTW within 30 days postinjury, less likely within 61-180 days, and were no different after 181 days. Workers with psychological injuries resulting from a violence-related incident had a lower likelihood to RTW during the year postinjury (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.86). Workers with violence-related incidents in counselling and social work occupations were less likely to RTW within 90 days postinjury (HR 31-60 days: 0.67, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.95 and HR 61-90 days: 0.46, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.69). Workers with violence-related incidents in long-term care and residential social services were less likely to RTW within 91-180 days postinjury.

CONCLUSIONS: Workers with psychological injuries, and those in counselling and social work occupations and in long-term care and residential social services, took longer to RTW following a violence-related incident than workers with non-violence-related incidents. Future research should focus on identifying risk factors to reduce the burden of violence and facilitate RTW.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Language: en

Keywords

Cohort study; psychological injuries; return to work; workplace violence