Returning employees back to work: developing a measure for supervisors to Support Return to Work (SSRW)

Introduction Evidence suggests that supervisors' behaviors have a strong influence on employees' health and well-being outcomes. Few have examined the specific behaviors associated with managing an employee back to work following long-term sick leave. This study describes the development of a behavior measure for Supervisors to Support Return to Work (SSRW) using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Methods Qualitative data were collected between 2008 and 2010 from a UK population of organisational stakeholders (N = 142), line managers (N = 20) and employees (N = 26). Data from these samples were used to develop a 42 item questionnaire and to validate it using a further sample of line managers (N = 186) and employees (N = 359). Results Based on a factor structure and reliability results, four scales emerged. The measure demonstrated good internal reliability, construct and concurrent validity. Longitudinal data analyses demonstrated test-retest reliability and promising predictive validity. Conclusions This is a potentially valuable tool in research and in organisational settings, both during long-term sick leave and after employees have returned to work.