Project

Strategic work ability management and reduction of work disability risks

The working aged proportion of the population is decreasing. This emphasises the importance of work ability maintenance and work disability prevention, and that is why many workplaces have developed models for managing work ability and disability.

Work ability management is a strategic activity. It integrates the operational follow-up and the management of the personnel’s work ability into the organisation's overall strategy. So far, there is little research regarding this topic. We define the critical elements of strategic work ability management and investigate whether organisations can be classified based on them. We will also examine whether good strategic work ability management practices are reflected in indicators that describe employees’ work ability and its development.

Timetable

1/2025–12/2027

Objectives

Research-based knowledge about work ability management practices and impacts is needed to improve the efficacy and accuracy of measures. It may also reduce work ability risks at workplaces and in society at large.

The study is divided into three phases.

First phase

We identify the critical elements of strategic work ability management based on existing research literature.

What factors does effective work ability management include?
How is the strategic approach reflected in work ability management?

The research review provides a framework for drawing up action proposals and integrating actions into the strategic planning of the workplace.

Second phase

We identify work units that share similar work ability management practices or stages of work ability management. We utilise the critical elements of strategic work ability management identified in the first phase.

Can work units with similar work ability management practices be identified from a dataset of several hundred work units?
Which features predict a systematic approach?
What kinds of organisations or work units face more challenges in work ability management?

Third phase

We investigate whether good and strategic work ability management practices are reflected in indicators of employees work ability or work ability risks. We will make use of data generated in the second phase. The study is targeted at selected work units or workplaces that have follow-up data available on their work ability indicators.

Data and methods

In the first phase of the study, we create a knowledge base based on previous research literature by means of a systematic literature search and review.
The second phase will utilise data on work ability management retrieved from registers of Aino Health Management Oy.
In the third phase, we will examine the connection between work ability management practices and work disability outcomes.

Results and impact

The results of the project provide much-needed information on the prerequisites for successful work ability management. We ask what works and in what context. The study demonstrates the significance of strategic work ability management in reducing work ability risks.