van Eersel Janske H W, Hulshof Inge L, Wickham Miriam I, Smid Geert E, Boelen Paul A
Department Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Postbus 90153, 5000, The Netherlands.
Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Mar 2;12(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01626-8.
With this study, we aimed to explore the emotional experiences of sick-listed employees facing imminent job loss, as this emotional distress may hinder successful job search outcomes. The study had two objectives: (1) to develop and validate the Imminent Job Loss Scale (IJLS) for assessing pre-job loss grief reactions and (2) to examine its relationship to work attachment.
Development of the 9-item IJLS was carried out using feedback from an expert panel, consisting of five academic experts in grief and labour, five re-integration specialists, and five sick-listed employees facing imminent job loss. The psychometric properties of the IJLS were evaluated, and its association with work attachment was examined using data from 200 sick-listed employees facing imminent job loss.
The IJLS demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability, distinctiveness from depression and anxiety symptoms, and solid convergent validity. Work-centrality and organizational commitment were positively related to pre-job loss grief reactions, while work engagement and calling showed no significant associations.
This study provides valuable insights into pre-job loss grief reactions and shows the potential utility of the IJLS for screening and monitoring purposes. Understanding pre-job loss grief reactions can improve the re-integration and job prospects of sick-listed employees. In future research, explorations of these dynamics should continue to provide better support to sick-listed employees during this challenging period.
通过本研究,我们旨在探索面临即将失业的病休员工的情绪体验,因为这种情绪困扰可能会阻碍求职的成功结果。该研究有两个目标:(1)开发并验证即将失业量表(IJLS),用于评估失业前的悲伤反应;(2)研究其与工作依恋的关系。
9项IJLS的开发利用了专家小组的反馈,该小组由五位悲伤与劳动领域的学术专家、五位再融入专家以及五位面临即将失业的病休员工组成。对IJLS的心理测量特性进行了评估,并使用来自200位面临即将失业的病休员工的数据研究了其与工作依恋的关联。
IJLS表现出很强的内部一致性和时间稳定性,与抑郁和焦虑症状有明显区别,且具有可靠的收敛效度。工作中心性和组织承诺与失业前的悲伤反应呈正相关,而工作投入和使命感则无显著关联。
本研究为失业前的悲伤反应提供了有价值的见解,并显示了IJLS在筛查和监测方面的潜在效用。了解失业前的悲伤反应可以改善病休员工的再融入情况和就业前景。在未来的研究中,应继续探索这些动态变化,以便在这一具有挑战性的时期为病休员工提供更好的支持。