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Sickness and disability systems: comparing outcomes and policies in Norway with those in Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Philip Hemmings
  • Christopher Prinz

Abstract

In Norway, sick-leave compensation and disability benefit is comprehensive and an important component of employee rights and benefits. However, despite policy attention, use of these systems is excessive; sickness absence and disability benefit recipiency levels remain extraordinarily high compared with other countries. This paper compares Norway’s reform experience and policy settings with those of three countries that also have comprehensive support and that have faced similar problems: Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland. All four countries have made a number of changes to sick leave and disability benefit systems. However, it appears that Norway’s reforms have so far been rather less successful. A broad impression in comparing the reforms is that Norway has conducted fewer measures involving reductions to entitlements and improvements in work incentives compared with the other countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Hemmings & Christopher Prinz, 2020. "Sickness and disability systems: comparing outcomes and policies in Norway with those in Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1601, OECD Publishing.
  • Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1601-en
    DOI: 10.1787/c768699b-en
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Svetlana Solovieva & Karina Undem & Daniel Falkstedt & Gun Johansson & Petter Kristensen & Jacob Pedersen & Eira Viikari-Juntura & Taina Leinonen & Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum, 2022. "Utilizing a Nordic Crosswalk for Occupational Coding in an Analysis on Occupation-Specific Prolonged Sickness Absence among 7 Million Employees in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-24, November.
    2. René Böheim & Thomas Horvath & Thomas Leoni & Martin Spielauer, 2023. "The Impact of Health and Education on Labor Force Participation in Aging Societies: Projections for the United States and Germany from Dynamic Microsimulations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-35, June.
    3. Koning, Pierre & van Lent, Max, 2022. "Workers' Moral Hazard and Insurer Effort in Disability Insurance," IZA Discussion Papers 15164, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Elin Halvorsen & Serdar Ozkan & Sergio Salgado, 2022. "Earnings dynamics and its intergenerational transmission: Evidence from Norway," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(4), pages 1707-1746, November.
    5. Elżbieta Antczak & Katarzyna M. Miszczyńska, 2021. "Causes of Sickness Absenteeism in Europe—Analysis from an Intercountry and Gender Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-22, November.
    6. Agar Brugiavini & Petru Crudu, 2023. "The Role of Disability Insurance on the Labour Market Trajectories of Europeans," Working Papers 2023:20, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    7. Elin Halvorsen & Serdar Ozkan & Sergio Salgado, 2021. "Earnings Dynamics and Its Intergenerational Transmission: Evidence from Norway," Working Papers 2021-015, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 07 Jul 2022.
    8. Pichler, Stefan & Ziebarth, Nicolas R., 2024. "Sick Leave and Medical Leave in the United States: A Categorization and Recent Trends," IZA Policy Papers 206, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    disability benefit; Norway; sick leave; Sweden; Switzerland; the Netherlands;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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