Thesis
Association between occupational injury and early termination of employment among manufacturing workers
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Spring 2018
DOI: 10.17077/etd.5kbjfgyz
Abstract
<p>Employee turnover is a complex problem with many intertwining contributors. In general newly hired employees at an organization have a higher risk of injury. However, few studies have explored occupational injury as a predictor of employment duration. In this study we hypothesized that employees who sustained an injury during the early stages of employment were prone to higher turnover rates.</p>
<p>All employees hired from 2012-2016 were identified using a large Midwestern manufacturing facilities human resources database (n=3765). Corresponding occupational injury information from the same time period was extracted from the onsite occupational health center.</p>
<p>Employment duration was the dependent variable which was dichotomized as (i) working < 60 days or (ii) working ≥60 days. The 60-day threshold was based on the employer’s internal estimation of the duration of employment required to recover training costs. The primary independent variable was a first-time visit to the occupational health center within the first 60 days of employment, categorized as (i) no visit, (ii) a visit within 1-20 days, or (iii) a visit within 21-60 days. A secondary independent variable incorporated the nature of injury, classified as repetitive strain, acute sprain/strain, or other occupational injury types. Covariates included demographics (e.g., age, gender, and race/ethnicity), shift placement (e.g. first, second, third), and nature of assigned job (e.g., assembly, fabrication, maintenance). Incidence rates of first-time visits were calculated (i) across the full study period and (ii) for a reduced period that included only the first 60 days of employment. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted associations between the primary/secondary independent variables and the dependent variable.</p>
<p>Of the 3765 employees, 1184 (31.5%) worked less than 60 days. About two-thirds were male, about half were white/Caucasian, and the overall mean age was 33.8±10.8 years. Between 2012 and 2016, 1105 first-time visits to the occupational health center were recorded for all new hires with an overall incidence rate (IR) of 47/100 person-years (PY). The IR for repetitive strain was 18/100PY. Of the 1105 first-time visits, 408 occurred within the first 60 days of employment with an overall IR of 85/100PY and an IR for repetitive strain of 36/100PY. Employees who visited the occupational health center in the first 20 days of employment were more likely to terminate prior to the 60-day threshold (adjusted odds ratio: 1.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.4). Elevated associations were seen for all nature of injury categories which occurred within 20 days when compared to non-injured employees.</p>
<p>Overall, the results suggest that experiencing an occupational injury (in particular, a repetitive strain injury) within the first 20 days of employment is associated with termination before 60 days. Our results may not be generalizable to all manufacturing enterprises, and we do not make a distinction between voluntary and involuntary termination. However, the results indicate that employers should examine policies and practices to minimize the burden of injury among new employees and reduce turnover. In the case of the study facility, an extended or modified work hardening program could maximize new employees’ adaptation to the physical demands of manufacturing work.</p>
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Association between occupational injury and early termination of employment among manufacturing workers
- Creators
- Nathan Huizinga - University of Iowa
- Contributors
- Nathan B. Fethke (Advisor)Carri Casteel (Committee Member)Diane S. Rohlman (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Occupational and Environmental Health
- Date degree season
- Spring 2018
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.5kbjfgyz
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- x, 45 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2018 Nathan Huizinga
- Language
- English
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 44-45).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Employee turnover within a business is complex with many underlying factors contributing to the problem. Newly hired employees are generally at a higher risk of sustaining an occupational injury compared to employees with longer tenure. However, few studies have examined occupational injury as a precursor to ending employment. Manufacturing environments place workers at increased risk of injury. Musculoskeletal related injuries are of particular importance in the manufacturing industry as a result of high paced assembly work, non-neutral working postures and highly repetitive job tasks. The goal of this study was to explore the possibility of occupational injury, including musculoskeletal injury, as a predictor of employee turnover within a manufacturing setting.
A cohort of newly hired employees from 2012-2016 at a large Midwestern manufacturing facility was identified with demographic and job characteristic information from the employer’s human resources data base. By using this information along with coinciding occupational health center data relating to employee nurse visits, an analysis of the association between occupational injury and duration of employment was performed.
The results in this study suggested that occupational injury experienced within the first 20 days of employment (specifically repetitive strain) was associated with an employment duration of less than 60 days. These results suggest that employers should examine policies and interventions to minimize the occurrence of occupational injuries among newly hired employees to potentially reduce the occurrence and impact of turnover.
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health
- Record Identifier
- 9983777394802771
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