Work Needs and Perceived Satisfaction of Industrially Injured Employees in Returning to Gainful Employment.

Industrially injured employees who remain off from work for longer than three months present unique problems to their employers. As time away from work increases it becomes more difficult to effect a return outcome. Both the employer and employee experience problems as a result of lost time from work. This study examined the level of job satisfaction among industrially injured to determine its possible relatedness to return to work after injury. A non-probability sample of 50 employees of a manufacturing company who had received workers' compensation benefits completed the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (short form) as well as a background survey of demographics, financial status, self-reported pain levels, and other variables believed to account for differences in those individuals who were returned to work from those who remained on benefit status. Based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis and Lofquist, 1984), it was hypothesized that individuals who had returned to work within three months of their injury date were more correspondent (satisfied) with their work environment and had sought to maintain it. The findings resulted in higher satisfaction scores for the returnees than the non-returnees. It is suggested that those individuals who were less correspondent with their work environment may use their disability status as a means of avoiding perceived unsatisfactory work. Other findings which were associated with return to work following injury were: lower self-perception of pain, non-involvement in litigation, feeling of pressure to return to work, and a shorter length of time off. Industrial policies should provide for early and intense intervention to return partially restricted employees back to work. Litigated cases should be reviewed carefully to avoid unnecessary court delays. Vocational rehabilitation counselors need to become more familiar with the industrial setting and medical managment techniques. Suggestions for further study include comparisons of the findings with compensably injured employees in other job classifications, and more industrial locations; and non-compensably disabled on extended disability leaves. It is hoped that the results will serve the workers' compensation claims adjustors in underst and ing the role of rehabilitation counselors in the return to work effort.PhDSchool counselingUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/161532/1/8720266.pd