Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled study of a multicomponent intervention to promote a sustainable return to work of workers on long-term sick leave - PROWORK: PROmoting a Sustainable and Healthy Return to WORK

• Published in: Pilot and feasibility studies 2022-08, Vol.8 (1), p.188-16, Article 188
• Main Authors: Varela-Mato, Veronica, Godfree, Kate, Adem, Anwar, Blake, Holly, Bartle, Craig, Daly, Guy, Hassard, Juliet, Kneller, Richard, Meyer, Caroline, Russell, Sean, Marwaha, Steven, Kershaw, Charlotte, Newman, Kristina, Yarker, Joanna, Thomson, Louise, Munir, Fehmidah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Comorbidity; Coronaviruses; Costs; COVID-19; Employers; Goal setting; Intervention; Large enterprises; Line managers; Long-term sickness absence; Mental health; Positive communication; Productivity; Return to work; Sick leave; Small and medium enterprises; Small and medium sized companies; Study Protocol; Systematic review; Worker absenteeism; Workers
• ISSN: 2055-5784; 2055-5784
• DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01143-8

The cost of sickness absence has major social, psychological and financial implications for individuals and organisations. Return-to-work (RTW) interventions that support good quality communication and contact with the workplace can reduce the length of sickness absence by between 15 and 30 days. However, initiatives promoting a sustainable return to work for workers with poor mental health on long-term sickness absence across small, medium and large enterprises (SMEs and LEs) are limited. This paper describes the protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the feasibility of implementing a RTW intervention across SMEs and LEs across all sectors. A two-arm feasibility RCT with a 4-month intervention will be conducted in SMEs and LE enterprises from the Midlands region, UK. At least 8 organisations (4 controls and interventions), and at least 60 workers and/or managers, will be recruited and randomised into the intervention and control group (30 interventions, 30 controls). Workers on long-term sickness absence (LTSA) (between 8 and 50 days) and managers with a worker on LTSA will be eligible to participate. The intervention is a behavioural change programme, including a managers and workers RTW toolkit, focused on supporting sickness absence and RTW through the provision of knowledge, problem-solving, action planning, goal setting and positive communication that leads to a sustainable RTW. Organisations assigned to the control group will continue with their usual practice. Measurements of mental health, RTW, work outcomes, quality-of-life, workplace support and communication and other demographic data will be taken at baseline, 2 months and 4 months. Feasibility will be assessed based on recruitment, retention, attrition, completion of measures and intervention compliance for which specific process and research outcomes have been established. A process evaluation will explore the experiences and acceptability of the intervention components and evaluation measures. Exploratory economic evaluation will be conducted to further inform a definitive trial. This is a novel intervention using a worker-manager approach to promote a sustainable return to work of workers on long-term sick leave due to poor mental wellbeing. If this intervention is shown to be feasible, the outcomes will inform a larger scale randomised control trial. ISRCTN90032009 (retrospectively registered, date registered 15th December 2020).