Background: Work-ability is often assessed as part of the vocational rehabilitation process for injured workers. However, research highlights a concern among therapists who carry out vocational assessments that there is a lack of consistency with regard to quality and comprehensiveness using current methods of assessment. One of the reasons for this is that there are no standardized measures of work-ability available that are designed to be used for the purpose of facilitating rehabilitation. The Participation And Work-ability Support Scale (PAWSS) is a new measure, conceptualized and initially developed by Professors Lynne Turner-Stokes and Kathryn McPherson, that was designed to address this gap. Design and Methods: This research was designed to develop the PAWSS measure to the point where it had face validity, and was complete enough to be formally psychometrically tested. The design of the research involved three parts. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken. This was done to identify all the aspects of work functioning that are considered to contribute to work-ability, and then consider currently available work-ability measures in relation to their suitability for assessing vocational support needs. Secondly, in phase one of the research, qualitative focus groups and interviews with stakeholders in the return-to-work process were undertaken. The purpose of this phase was to check the content of the measure against stakeholder experiences, and determine the most appropriate administration context and procedures. Interviews and focus groups were analysed using descriptive analysis, and findings were used to inform revisions to the measure. Finally, phase two of the research involved pilot testing the measure. This was carried out by contracting experienced occupational therapists to test the new measure with consenting workplace assessment clients. Feedback from assessors and injured workers, assessor testing notes and scoring were analysed to examine feasibility and acceptability of the PAWSS, and revisions to the measure were made in accordance with findings.Results: The qualitative interviews and focus groups (phase one) provided feedback and comments that informed adaptations to the measure to bring it more in line with stakeholders’ experiences of work-ability. Furthermore, this phase provided information about the context in which the measure should be administered, and this was adopted for the pilot testing. Pilot testing of the measure (phase two) showed that the measure was acceptable to both the assessors and the injured workers, and that it was feasible to administer as part of a workplace assessment. Revisions to the measure and training procedures at this stage were primarily made to enhance clarity of item descriptions and scoring decisions. Conclusions and implications for practice: Findings from the research confirmed the need for a standardized measure of work-ability that can be used to plan vocational supports and interventions. Furthermore, the PAWSS was shown to be feasible and acceptable as a comprehensive tool for assessment of the work-ability of injured workers. Further research is needed to test the reliability and validity of the PAWSS before it can be used in practice.

Background: Work-ability is often assessed as part of the vocational rehabilitation process for injured workers. However, research highlights a concern among therapists who carry out vocational assessments that there is a lack of consistency with regard to quality and comprehensiveness using current methods of assessment. One of the reasons for this is that there are no standardized measures of work-ability available that are designed to be used for the purpose of facilitating rehabilitation. The Participation And Work-ability Support Scale (PAWSS) is a new measure, conceptualized and initially developed by Professors Lynne Turner-Stokes and Kathryn McPherson, that was designed to address this gap. Design and Methods: This research was designed to develop the PAWSS measure to the point where it had face validity, and was complete enough to be formally psychometrically tested. The design of the research involved three parts. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken. This was done to identify all the aspects of work functioning that are considered to contribute to work-ability, and then consider currently available work-ability measures in relation to their suitability for assessing vocational support needs. Secondly, in phase one of the research, qualitative focus groups and interviews with stakeholders in the return-to-work process were undertaken. The purpose of this phase was to check the content of the measure against stakeholder experiences, and determine the most appropriate administration context and procedures. Interviews and focus groups were analysed using descriptive analysis, and findings were used to inform revisions to the measure. Finally, phase two of the research involved pilot testing the measure. This was carried out by contracting experienced occupational therapists to test the new measure with consenting workplace assessment clients. Feedback from assessors and injured workers, assessor testing notes and scoring were analysed to examine feasibility and acceptability of the PAWSS, and revisions to the measure were made in accordance with findings.Results: The qualitative interviews and focus groups (phase one) provided feedback and comments that informed adaptations to the measure to bring it more in line with stakeholders’ experiences of work-ability. Furthermore, this phase provided information about the context in which the measure should be administered, and this was adopted for the pilot testing. Pilot testing of the measure (phase two) showed that the measure was acceptable to both the assessors and the injured workers, and that it was feasible to administer as part of a workplace assessment. Revisions to the measure and training procedures at this stage were primarily made to enhance clarity of item descriptions and scoring decisions. Conclusions and implications for practice: Findings from the research confirmed the need for a standardized measure of work-ability that can be used to plan vocational supports and interventions. Furthermore, the PAWSS was shown to be feasible and acceptable as a comprehensive tool for assessment of the work-ability of injured workers. Further research is needed to test the reliability and validity of the PAWSS before it can be used in practice.

Background: Work-ability is often assessed as part of the vocational rehabilitation process for injured workers. However, research highlights a concern among therapists who carry out vocational assessments that there is a lack of consistency with regard to quality and comprehensiveness using current methods of assessment. One of the reasons for this is that there are no standardized measures of work-ability available that are designed to be used for the purpose of facilitating rehabilitation. The Participation And Work-ability Support Scale (PAWSS) is a new measure, conceptualized and initially developed by Professors Lynne Turner-Stokes and Kathryn McPherson, that was designed to address this gap. Design and Methods: This research was designed to develop the PAWSS measure to the point where it had face validity, and was complete enough to be formally psychometrically tested. The design of the research involved three parts. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken. This was done to identify all the aspects of work functioning that are considered to contribute to work-ability, and then consider currently available work-ability measures in relation to their suitability for assessing vocational support needs. Secondly, in phase one of the research, qualitative focus groups and interviews with stakeholders in the return-to-work process were undertaken. The purpose of this phase was to check the content of the measure against stakeholder experiences, and determine the most appropriate administration context and procedures. Interviews and focus groups were analysed using descriptive analysis, and findings were used to inform revisions to the measure. Finally, phase two of the research involved pilot testing the measure. This was carried out by contracting experienced occupational therapists to test the new measure with consenting workplace assessment clients. Feedback from assessors and injured workers, assessor testing notes and scoring were analysed to examine feasibility and acceptability of the PAWSS, and revisions to the measure were made in accordance with findings.Results: The qualitative interviews and focus groups (phase one) provided feedback and comments that informed adaptations to the measure to bring it more in line with stakeholders’ experiences of work-ability. Furthermore, this phase provided information about the context in which the measure should be administered, and this was adopted for the pilot testing. Pilot testing of the measure (phase two) showed that the measure was acceptable to both the assessors and the injured workers, and that it was feasible to administer as part of a workplace assessment. Revisions to the measure and training procedures at this stage were primarily made to enhance clarity of item descriptions and scoring decisions. Conclusions and implications for practice: Findings from the research confirmed the need for a standardized measure of work-ability that can be used to plan vocational supports and interventions. Furthermore, the PAWSS was shown to be feasible and acceptable as a comprehensive tool for assessment of the work-ability of injured workers. Further research is needed to test the reliability and validity of the PAWSS before it can be used in practice.

This thesis focuses on employees' incapacity to work as a factor that negatively affects the functioning of an organization. The resulting negative financial impact is felt not only at the level of specific organizations, but also can affect a country's macroeconomic performance. To be able to understand the issue of work absence, it is necessary to consider it in the context of a state's political and social situation. It is also essential to take into account legislative regulations regarding absenteeism that dictate the procedures required for both employees and employers. A serious problem associated with sick leave is the unauthorized absence of employees from work that results in significant burden on employers as well as hinders the macroeconomic functioning of the state. Although there are public institutions involved in activities for reducing absenteeism, the task of investigating the reasons for increased work absence is usually left up to the employer. That includes a responsibility to find and incorporate into the organization's policy an effective and appropriate solution for reducing work absence and stabilization of amount of absence. It is also important to avoid creating an environment that leads to so called "presenteeism," which is the presence of employees in the workplace...

Participation in sport activities brings various benefits to the individuals involved as well as to the society as a whole. One of these benefits is a higher labour productivity following from a lower disease-induced absence rate and from the improved personal work characteristics. This thesis investigates the influence of public money spent in support of sport on labour productivity. The study is based on the data about these expenditures on the level of the Czech municipalities, whereas the expenditures on sport are aggregated over the municipalities belonging to each of the fourteen regions composing the Czech Republic. The performed regression analysis traces the influence of these expenditures on the disease-induced work incapacity rate in the respective region, which constitutes a proxy for labour productivity. The results of the analysis show that municipal expenditures on sport significantly decrease the disease-induced work incapacity: if municipalities in a region spend extra one hundred CZK per person on sport, the disease-induced work incapacity in the following year lowers by 0.064 to 0.083%.

The area of a sickness insurance, I have chosen for my diploma thesis, is not only important for me in terms of my working life, but as well as for my private life, because a temporary working incapacity and a title for sickness insurance benefits accompanies a life of each of us, either directly in our family circle or among friends or colleagues. The working incapacity, as a social event, is familiar to all of us. Someone meets it more often, someone less often, however it always influences our private as well as working life from a financial perspective, it has an impact on our working duties and it strikes our family groove. At the same time it has a very human dimension, since it concerns the most valuable we have ? it is our health. It deepens solidarity among people, mutual support and empathy. I have chosen the above topic also for the reason that I had already been working in the area of the sickness insurance for five years. I am interested whether there have been met the main objectives from the new legislation especially in terms of savings in financial means, a decrease of a number of temporary incapacities and a prevention of a misusage of the temporary working incapacities. The main aim of this thesis is to analyze individual areas of an implementation of the sickness insurance and on the basis of obtained results and statistical data to evaluate whether the main objectives of the sickness insurance legislation from January 1st, 2009 in the region of Jindřichův Hradec were met. Three hypotheses were presented in the thesis. The first premise said that with the effectiveness of this law financial means had spent on the sickness insurance benefits had been saved. The second premise was a decrease of the temporary incapacities and the third proven one was the meeting of the main objectives of the legislation in the whole implementation range of the sickness insurance in the region of Jindřichův Hradec. Two research methods were chosen; an analysis of documents, a technique of a secondary analysis and a content analysis. The second method was a semi-structured interview with professionals in the area of the sickness insurance. Defined hypotheses were confirmed by the carried out research. Financial means spent on the sickness insurance benefits were saved very dramatically already in the first half of the effectiveness of this law and the number of temporary incapacities decreased by one third of cases in that period. The third hypothesis was also confirmed by both chosen research methods and defined objectives of the new legislation were met in the region of Jindřichův Hradec. The defined aims of the diploma thesis were achieved, hypotheses were verified, there were mentioned important remarks and changes and provisions, which would lead to another streamlining of the sickness insurance system, were proposed. The obtained results are beneficial for my work in this area and they are a motivation as well as a challenge to other research activities.