Organisational downsizing, sickness absence, and mortality: 10-town prospective cohort study
Vahtera, Jussi ; Kivimäki, Mika ; Pentti, Jaana ; Virtanen, Marianna ; Ferrie, Jane E.
2004
328
7439
1-5
enterprise restructuring ; mortality ; sick leave ; health status ; survey
Occupational risks
English
Bibliogr.
"The objective was to examine whether downsizing, the reduction of personnel in organisations, is a predictor of increased sickness absence and mortality among employees.
Major downsizing was associated with an increase in sickness absence (P for trend <0.001) in permanent employees but not in temporary employees. The extent of downsizing was also associated with cardiovascular deaths (P for trend <0.01) but not with deaths from other causes. Cardiovascular mortality was 2.0 (95% confidence interval 1.0 to 3.9) times higher after major downsizing than after no downsizing. Splitting the follow up period into two halves showed a 5.1 (1.4 to 19.3) times increase in cardiovascular mortality for major downsizing during the first four years after downsizing. The corresponding hazard ratio was 1.4 (0.6 to 3.1) during the second half of follow up.
Organisational downsizing may increase sickness absence and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in employees who keep their jobs."
Digital
The ETUI is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ETUI.