Worker perceptions of organizational support and return-to-work policy: Associations with post-injury job satisfaction

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Huang, Yueng-Hsiang | Shaw, William S.^; | Chen, Peter Y.

Affiliations: Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, USA | University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Worcester, MA, USA | Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Tel.: +1 508 497 0208; E-mail: yueng-hsiang.huang@libertymutual.com

Abstract: This study evaluates the psychometric properties of an industry-based employee measure of employer responses to injuries (i.e., organizational support and return-to-work policies) and explores the relationship of these variables to post-injury job satisfaction. Survey data were collected from 1438 employees with work-related injuries in 13 construction companies and 13 transportation companies. Factor analyses supported the two-factor structure of the scale, and both organizational support and return-to-work policies were independently associated with post-injury job satisfaction. The results suggest a need for understanding organizational responses to injuries, employee perceptions of injury response, and the impact of both on organizational outcomes.

Keywords: organizational support, return-to-work policy, job satisfaction

Journal: Work, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 225-232, 2004