Elo’s new tool helps companies facing risk of disability to understand reasons behind the situation and find ways to reduce the risk
/ Blog
In 2019, mental health disorders were the leading cause of disability pensions granted by Elo. The number of disability pension applications increased for applicants under the age of 35 years by 25%, and for them, the reasons were mainly based on mental health issues. Although some of the symptoms seen in young employees originate from their childhood home and the resources it had to offer, measures at work have been shown to be linked to mental health symptoms and work ability.
According to a study carried out by Elo and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health on the expectations young people have of working life (Nuorten työelämäodotukset), melancholy and hopelessness experienced by young employees in commercial occupations were associated with poorer experiences of supervisory work compared to symptom-free young employees. The most distinct differences were seen in how sufficient the employees thought the feedback they received was and in how interested they thought their supervisors were in their health and well-being.
The analyses based on Finnish corporate material drawn up by Ossi Aura, researcher and developer of personnel productivity, also confirm the connection between managerial work and work ability. Employees, who do not find their superior trusts them and who feel that their superior is not fair to everyone, are more likely to have impaired work ability than employees who feel the support they receive from their superior is good. The asset of trust has also a more long-term effect on perceived work ability – the employees’ own assessments of their future work ability after two years depend on how they feel their superior trusts them.
Continuous putting out of fires burdens the entire work community
Typically, a company facings risks of disability has been affected by absences due to illness for several years, and the absences are growing longer. The concerns occupational health care expresses to the company often have to do with stress and impaired recovery experienced by the personnel as well as perception of poor support by supervisor. The processes associated with work ability management may only be under development, and unclear roles and responsibilities lead to a situation in which employees who need support are not always recognized and prolonged sick leaves come as a surprise.
This kind of ‘putting out of fires’ brings an unreasonable amount of work and stress especially to superiors, particularly if their own superiors do not offer them enough support in their work. Frequently, this kind of situation is reflected in the functioning of the work community and becomes evident as declining mutual responsibility and impaired work atmosphere. Being continuously short-staffed and having to do the work of colleagues on sick leave put a strain on employees.
A new tool to demonstrate the standard of management
Elo’s new mapping tool helps companies at risk to get a better view of the aspects of managerial work that need to be developed. The tool utilises the results of Elo’s work community survey conducted in the company and, based on them, calculates an index number that illustrates the standard of leadership and managerial work in the company in question. The index number reflects the evaluations by the personnel of their own work ability, control of work and motivation. The index is based on an extensive series of studies of Finnish corporate material put together by Ossi Aura and his fellow researchers. The index is linked to how employees experience trust shown by their superior, shared risk-carrying in the work community and good working community atmosphere.
By utilising the mapping tool, companies at risk gain more understanding of the challenges of leadership and managerial work seen in different units. This will help them to target the management development measures to the specific units that face the highest risks and have the greatest potential to benefit from the measures.
In the tool, the potential of the development measures is expressed in a manner that is easy for the corporate management to understand: through financial figures and comparative data. This helps the top management to make timely investments in the development of managerial work and reduction of disability risks.
Systematic management of work ability processes does not necessarily require financial investments. Establishing the current situation and recognising the risks, deciding upon responsibilities and roles as well as actively monitoring and managing the indicators will take one a long way with regard to work ability processes!