Department of Health, Social & Welfare Studies, University of South-Eastern Norway, PO Box 4, 3199 Borre, Norway.
Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4LP, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 15;18(8):4164. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084164.
Few studies have investigated the support needed or received by self-employed cancer survivors to continue working. In Norway, the Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) is responsible for supporting people both practically and financially to continue or return to work following ill health. Social welfare counsellors (NAV counsellors) are responsible for guiding workers in their effort to return to work. This study aimed to investigate NAV counsellors' experiences of supporting self-employed cancer survivors. We also report how self-employed people experienced the support they received from NAV during and after cancer treatment. We conducted individual in-depth interviews among seven self-employed cancer survivors and seven NAV counsellors with experience in supporting self-employed cancer survivors. The survivors experienced NAV as largely absent and considered that the support offered was not very useful. The NAV counsellors stated that self-employed workers are in a difficult situation and that regulations and means of support were primarily designed to fit salaried workers. While they felt they were supposed to function as an "employer" for the self-employed, they found this difficult because of lack of time, expertise and means for supporting self-employed. These findings suggest that the social welfare system in Norway is not adapted to support sick self-employed people appropriately.
鲜有研究调查过自营癌症幸存者继续工作所需或所获的支持。在挪威，劳动与福利管理局（NAV）负责在健康状况不佳时为人们提供实际和经济上的支持，以继续或重返工作岗位。社会福利顾问（NAV 顾问）负责指导工人重返工作岗位。本研究旨在调查 NAV 顾问在支持自营癌症幸存者方面的经验。我们还报告了自营职业者在癌症治疗期间和之后从 NAV 获得的支持的体验。我们对七名自营职业的癌症幸存者和七名有支持自营职业癌症幸存者经验的 NAV 顾问进行了单独的深入访谈。幸存者认为 NAV 基本不存在，认为提供的支持没有太大用处。NAV 顾问表示，自营职业者处境艰难，而且法规和支持手段主要是为受薪工人设计的。尽管他们觉得自己应该为自营职业者充当“雇主”，但由于缺乏时间、专业知识和支持自营职业者的手段，他们觉得这很难。这些发现表明，挪威的社会福利制度不适应于适当支持患病的自营职业者。
