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.