The matter in summary Researchers at UiT Norway’s Arctic University and Nordlandssykehuset have received NOK 11 million from the Research Council to investigate why women have higher sickness absence rates than men. Norway is among the countries with the highest sickness absence in the world. Women have significantly higher absenteeism than men. The researchers have several hypotheses for the causes, including health problems, working environment, double work at home and at work, and fertility. One of the most interesting hypotheses is the “fertility hypothesis”, which suggests that women have higher sickness absence around the time they have children, although this also applies to women who do not have children. The research is an international collaboration and will last until 2030. Monica Watvedt, unit manager at Renhold Vest at Nordlandssykehuset, believes that all the hypotheses can contribute to women’s higher sickness absence, and emphasizes the importance of listening to employees in order to reduce sickness absence. – It is an equality problem, says professor at UiT Norway’s Arctic University, Arnstein Mykletun, about the findings he has made together with his colleagues. He is part of a project led by the Competence Service for Work and Mental Health at Nordlandssykehuset. They will find out why women have so much higher sickness absence than men. A project that received NOK 11 million from the Research Council. Together, they will now dig deep into sickness absence in Norway. Norway is one of the nations with the highest sickness absence rate in the world, according to an article at verkacht.no which a few years ago looked at sickness absence in Norway compared to absence in other comparable countries. At the latest update from Statistics Norway, it was 6.45 per cent. And what interests researchers the most are the differences between women and men. Much higher sickness absence The researchers will, among other things, use data from research projects at Health at Work and data from public registers. In total, it concerns data from approximately 3,500 patients. The main purpose of the research project is to find out why sickness absence is so much higher among women than men. Because according to Statistics Norway, doctor-notified sickness absence for women is significantly higher for women than for men. – We risk that this will become an equality challenge in working life where men are prioritized for appointment and promotion because sick leave is cumbersome for businesses, says Mykletun. – Especially if you have specialist skills or a leadership role that makes it difficult to find a competent replacement. We therefore have an ethical responsibility to find answers that can contribute to good solutions to this problem. And higher sickness absence among women is an international phenomenon. A LOT OF MONEY: Professor and research leader Arnstein Mykletun, Beate Brinchmann and Nils Abel Aars are pleased to have received 11 million for their project. Photo: Nordlandssykehuset Many theories The project, which they are collaborating with universities in England, Australia and the Netherlands, will last until 2030. There are many hypotheses for why women have higher sickness absence rates than men: These are the researchers’ hypotheses The health hypothesis: Is it the case that women have more health problems than men? And if so, how much of the absence can be attributed to these health conditions? The “comfort and carry hypothesis” or the working environment hypothesis: Often related to caring professions. Those who literally comfort and carry, such as health workers and childcare workers. The double worker hypothesis: “The second shift” was launched by the women’s movement in the 70s. That women “pull” the load at home, in addition to full working days. The fertility hypothesis: The hypothesis scientists believe is the biggest mystery. It seems that higher sickness absence is linked to having your first child. But the figures change in parallel for childless women. Source: Nordlandssykehuset.no One of the hypotheses that the researchers will examine in more detail, they have chosen to call the “Fertility hypothesis”. According to the researchers, skewed distribution occurs around the time we have children. – Already during pregnancy, and not least in the years afterwards when you are a mother of young children, sickness absence increases significantly for women, explains Mykletun. There is not a corresponding increase in men. – But what is strange is that women who do not have children have a corresponding increase in sickness absence when women typically have their first child. One of the theories in particular interests Monica Watvedt. I think women take a lot of responsibility. She is the unit manager at Renhold Vest at Nordlandssykehuset in Vesterålen. Five years ago, she took over the department. At that time, they had an absence due to sickness of 23.4 per cent. Sickness absence is now 0.5 per cent. – I believe that all the hypotheses are a factor that contributes to the fact that women have higher sickness absence than men, says Monica Watvedt. – When I talk to the employees in my department, many bring up the “double worker hypothesis”. They work 100 per cent at the workplace, and continue to work at home after the end of the working day, she continues. GOOD HELP: Unit manager at Renhold Vest at Nordlandssykehuset Vesterålen, Monica Watvedt (left), is grateful for the support she has received from her boss, Vibeke Mikalsen, unit manager for operations and property at Nordlandssykehuset. Photo: Ulrikke Jenssen Følvik / Nordlandssykehuset – Now we should not conclude that all men take less responsibility at home than women, but many women may feel that the work at home falls to them to a greater extent. Although Watvedt has sorted out the sickness absence in her department, she is very positive that there will now be even more research on this topic. – I believe that this is a good start to finding answers to why women have higher sickness absence rates than men. The question is perhaps how do you move on after the end of research, and what can you do to make this better? Her experience from Nordlandssykehuset in Vesterålen is that it is important to listen to your employees. – We are a team – When I came in as unit manager, they had not had a manager for quite some time. They were quite alone, and the psychosocial environment was accordingly, says Watvedt. The first thing she did was to conduct employee interviews to find out where the shoe hit. – We found that many were struggling with too much work pressure. For example, they did not work in the right department at the hospital, some needed facilitation, and then we had to find out what we could do to help each other, says Watvedt. Now sickness absence is almost gone. One of the most important things is that the employees feel a sense of belonging to the department and their job, believes the unit manager. – They have a sense of ownership for their work, for our budget, for the equipment we use, the whole package, she says. – In addition, they must feel seen by the management. My door is always open. I don’t see them as my employees. We are a team. I’m not going to sit in the office and decide everything. – What do you think we can do to reduce sickness absence in this country, and reduce the difference between women and men when it comes to sickness absence? – It is hard to say. In my eyes, it is not about women being weaker than men. But, as mentioned, we have to look at what we can do to avoid people being on sick leave. That we try to find out what people need, and find the right solutions. Published 10.07.2024, at 11.41
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Women have much higher sickness absence rates than men. Researchers think the possible causes are this – news Nordland
