The Social and Healthcare Sector

About NFA's Research in Social and Healthcare Work

NFA studies the work environments of social and healthcare workers, who play a crucial societal role in supporting and helping citizens and patients maintain daily living.

Why do Social and Healthcare Assistants Have High Absence Rates?

The work environment is one reason why social and healthcare workers experience higher absence rates than other job groups, and a significant fraction of them report the need to leave the workforce prematurely. NFA’s research shows that about half of social and healthcare assistants experience offending behaviors such as bullying, violence, or sexual harassment at work; and three in ten report that they have high physical work demands.

These work environment challenges are reflected in the health of social and healthcare workers, with nearly half of these workers reporting weekly muscle pain, at least one in ten showing depressive symptoms, and nearly two in ten reporting poor health.

How Prevent Sickness Absence?

NFA’s research suggests that several initiatives can prevent sickness absence among social and healthcare assistants working in care facilities, home care, and hospitals. These initiatives are mainly organisational interventions to strengthen the psychosocial and physical (ergonomic) work environment.

These organisational interventions require close collaboration between managers and employees, who often need training, tools and procedures to identify challenges related to the psychosocial and ergonomic working environment, find solutions and implement them in daily work.