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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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01-10-2019 | Original Article

Does leadership support buffer the effect of workplace bullying on the risk of disability pensioning? An analysis of register-based outcomes using pooled survey data from 24,538 employees

Authors: Thomas Clausen, Paul Maurice Conway, Hermann Burr, Tage S. Kristensen, Åse Marie Hansen, Anne Helene Garde, Annie Hogh

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 7/2019

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate whether self-reported exposure to workplace bullying predicts the risk of disability pensioning among employees in two occupational groups—(1) employees working with clients or customers and (2) office workers and manual workers—and whether leadership support and occupational group moderates that association.

Methods

Survey data from 24,538 employees (112,889 person years) were fitted to a national register containing information on disability-pension payments. Using multi-adjusted Cox-regression analysis, observations were followed in the register to assess the risk of disability pensioning. The average follow-up time was 4.6 years (standard deviation [SD] = 1.5).

Results

Self-reported exposure to workplace bullying predicted an increased risk of disability pensioning (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–1.86). This association was moderated by leadership support: the association between workplace bullying and disability pensioning was significantly different for respondents who reported low leadership support (HR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.38–2.80) compared to respondents who reported medium (HR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.60–1.76) or high leadership support (HR = 1.08; 95% CI: 0.60–1.95). Further analyses showed similar associations between workplace bullying and the risk of disability pensioning among the two occupational groups.

Conclusions

Self-reported workplace bullying increases the risk of disability pensioning, and this association is buffered by leadership support. Workplace bullying should be considered an important workplace stressor. This study indicates that workplaces may enhance worker retention by actively promoting measures to eliminate the occurrence of workplace bullying and to enhance leadership support.

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Title: Does leadership support buffer the effect of workplace bullying on the risk of disability pensioning? An analysis of register-based outcomes using pooled survey data from 24,538 employees
Authors: Thomas Clausen
Paul Maurice Conway
Hermann Burr
Tage S. Kristensen
Åse Marie Hansen
Anne Helene Garde
Annie Hogh
Publication date: 01-10-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 7/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01428-1

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Does leadership support buffer the effect of workplace bullying on the risk of disability pensioning? An analysis of register-based outcomes using pooled survey data from 24,538 employees

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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Abstract

Purpose

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