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4.2
Impact on performance of assessments and
eligibility checks
To understand how the caseworkers' attitudes affect the individuals´
sickness absence, we need to study the initiatives taken by the
caseworkers during the sick leave. As pointed out in Section 2, the most
common initiatives are the 90- and 180-day eligibility checks, and
assessments in the form of Sassam and AM. It is reasonable to assume
that any impact on sickness absence duration would show in the use of one
or more of these initiatives. Since the initiatives taken in a sick spell are a
function of duration, a linear probability model would be less appropriate.
Instead, we estimate a Cox proportional hazards-model where individual
i
:s
probability to be subject to an assessment or an eligibility check at
t
, given
that the sickness episode is still ongoing, is given by
ijt
θ
. Note that
t
is a
continuous time variable here. The following model is estimated:
'
j
i
ij
j
t
ijt
CW Ind
LO
Index
θ
'
'
'
log
(2)
where
ijt
θ
log
is a function of the baseline hazard
)(
t
and the parameters
in Equation 1. The effect of being subject to Sassam, AM, and the 90- and
180-day eligibility check is estimated separately.
The results in Table 5 correspond rather well with what we would expect in
terms of a cooperative and a non-cooperative role of the caseworker. For
instance, if the caseworker is positive towards the rehabilitation programs,
the hazard rate for a performed AM is increased by almost 20 percent. In
addition, the hazard rate for performing the 90-day eligibility check is
decreased by 8.4 percent. Furthermore, a positive attitude towards the SI
rules increases the hazard rate for performing both Sassam and the 90-day
eligibility check.
Table 5.
Estimates of hazard ratio impact of caseworkers´ attitudes on
performing assessments and eligibility checks in the sick-leave
process
Attitude
Sassam
AM
Check –
90 days
Check –
180 days
Rehabilitation
0.997
(0.078)
1.198**
(0.079)
0.916**
(0.036)
1.038
(0.053)
SI rules
1.179**
(0.078)
1.080
(0.073)
1.129***
(0.034)
1.004
(0.050)
Note:
Results from estimations of a Cox proportional hazards model of the impact of
caseworkers´ attitudes on performing Sassam, AM, and the eligibility checks respectively. The
model controls for information about the individual regarding gender, age, educational level,
foreign birth, working sector, diagnosis, children under 18 (yes/no), quarter of sick-leave start,
SI benefit, previous days of sickness absence, unemployment, disability benefit since 2000, and
local office (LO). The model also controls for information about the caseworker regarding gender,
age, tenure at the SIA, time in the current position, education, and educational level. We used
65,162 observations. Standard errors are in parentheses. */**/*** indicates statistical
significance at 10/5/1-percent level respectively.