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This paper analyzes the effect of caseworkers´ attitudes towards the
current SI rules and existing rehabilitation programs on the individual´s
return to work. A unique dataset is utilized, combining the answers
from almost 1,000 caseworkers who participated in a nationwide survey
of the sick-leave process, with administrative register data from 65,000
individuals on sick leave. Taking advantage of the fact that the
caseworkers´ attitudes should be practically unknown to anyone but
themselves, thereby reducing the risk of systematic matching between
individuals and caseworkers with certain sets of attitudes, we analyze the
probability of returning to work after 3, 6 and 9 months. We also analyze
the impact of the caseworkers´ attitudes on intermediate outcomes;
assessments of the need for rehabilitation and eligibility checks. In this
way we can learn more about the mechanisms behind the impact on return
to work.
The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the essentials of
the Swedish public sickness insurance and the sick-leave process, and
also provides some idea of the discretion available to caseworkers.
Section 3 describes the survey and the individual register data, as well
as the caseworkers and the individuals in the study. Section 4 presents
the analytical strategy, the statistical model used, and also the results.
Section 5 summarizes the most important findings.