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Closing the Gates? Evidence from a Natural Experiment on Physicians' Sickness Certification

Year: 2009

Type: preprint

Abstract: This paper exploits a Norwegian physician directed reform aimed to reduce sick-leave. Physicians were required to consider part-time sick-leave as the default treatment and - in the case of long lasting full-time sick-leave - to file a report documenting why the worker was unable to perform any work related activities. The reform had a large impact, reducing sick-leave by 18.8 percent. The main effect came from reduced spell duration - which can be directly linked to the extended documentation requirement laid on physicians within the first 8 weeks of a sick-leave spell. Physician-directed policies may be an (cost-) effective way of reducing sick-leave.

Source: RePEc: Research Papers in Economics

Author: Simen Markussen

Language: English

Topic: Workplace Health and Well-being

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1501193741

Cites: 16

Cited by: 8

Related to: 10