The relationship between three stages of job change and long-term sickness absence

Although several researchers originally assumed that change always causes strain, a growing number of studies suggest that job change can have positive effects. However, the focus of these studies has generally been on subjective measures of satisfaction and well-being and rarely on health. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate how job change relates to long-term sickness absence during three stages: exit, entry, and normalization. Norwegian hospital employees, a low-unemployment group, were followed over a 6-year period as they moved in and out of different jobs. The study used fixed-effect methods to analyze changes in absence for each employee. The results show increased odds of long-term sickness absence during the 2 years prior to exiting an organization, a significant drop after the employee entered a new organization, and then a gradual increase in long-term sickness absence thereafter. After 2 years, the employee's odds of entering into long-term sickness absence were no longer significantly different from normal (i.e., the odds in months not related to job change). These findings on employee health are congruent with conclusions drawn from research on job satisfaction and well-being.