Return-to-Work Coordinators’ Practices for Workers with Burnout

Introduction Return-to-work (RTW) coordinators facilitate RTW of workers with work disabilities. However, little is known about RTW coordinators’ practices for workers with burnout. The aims of this study were to describe RTW coordinators’ activities in supporting workers with burnout during the RTW process, and their experiences with factors influencing the support. Methods Interviews and essay assignments were conducted with 15 RTW coordinators employed in universities and central hospitals in Finland. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results RTW coordinators were involved in the RTW process during early intervention, off-work, and work resumption phases. Seven groups of activities were identified: monitoring staff well-being; initiating RTW process; planning RTW; providing tools to support recovery; monitoring progress of the RTW process; supporting re-engagement with work; and monitoring coping with work. RTW coordinators’ activities depended on their institutional positions. Factors influencing the support included common understanding about burnout syndrome: co-occurring illnesses, dimensions of burnout, unpredictability of the recovery, personality characteristics, private life psychosocial factors, conflicts within the work community, and openness about burnout and its causes. Conclusions Complexity of the burnout problem challenges the support from the RTW coordinators. Understanding the causes and the consequences of burnout is important for the RTW coordinators to provide adequate and timely support for the workers with burnout in collaboration with the other stakeholders involved in the RTW process. Burnout-, individual-, and work-related factors should be considered in the RTW coordination to prevent and to reduce the negative consequences of burnout.