Job Counseling and Vocational Training for Workers on Extended Sick Leave in Denmark

Last registered on May 07, 2019

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Job Counseling and Vocational Training for Workers on Extended Sick Leave in Denmark
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0001494
Initial registration date
May 06, 2019

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 07, 2019, 10:20 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Aarhus University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of Nantes
PI Affiliation
Aarhus University

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2009-01-01
End date
2009-04-30
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Using data from a large-scale randomized controlled trial conducted in Danish job centers,
this paper investigates the effects of an intensification of mandatory return-to-work activities
on the subsequent labor market outcomes for sick-listed workers. Using variations in local
treatment strategies, both between job centers and between randomly assigned treatment
and control groups within a given job center, we compare the relative effectiveness of
alternative interventions. Our results show that the use of partial sick leave increases the
length of time spent in regular employment and non-reliance on benefits, and also reduces
the time spent in unemployment. Traditional active labor market programs and the use of
paramedical care appear to have no effect at all, or even an adverse effect.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Rehwald, Kai, Michael Rosholm and Bénédicte Rouland. 2019. "Job Counseling and Vocational Training for Workers on Extended Sick Leave in Denmark." AEA RCT Registry. May 07. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.1494-1.0
Former Citation
Rehwald, Kai, Michael Rosholm and Bénédicte Rouland. 2019. "Job Counseling and Vocational Training for Workers on Extended Sick Leave in Denmark." AEA RCT Registry. May 07. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/1494/history/46069
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2009-01-01
Intervention End Date
2009-04-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
(Dependent variables in parentheses below each main outcome)


Intention-to-treat effects

- Number of weeks in... (regular employment / self-sufficiency / sickness / unemployment)


Intention-to-treat effects of marginal changes in local treatment strategies

- Number of weeks in... (regular employment / self-sufficiency / sickness / unemployment)


Effects of participating in alternative treatment activities

- Number of weeks in... (regular employment / self-sufficiency / sickness / unemployment)


Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study presents the results of a randomized controlled trial conducted by Danish Labor Market Authority to test some of the elements to be included in forthcoming legislation on sickness benefits. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of an intensification of return-to-work activities on sick-listed workers' subsequent labor market outcomes, and to compare the relative effectiveness of the alternative interventions. The experiment was conducted in 16 job centers across Denmark, with sick-listed workers assigned either to the treatment group or control group. For treated individuals, the number of return-to-work activities was higher, and the interventions generally began earlier and lasted longer. Sick-listed workers comprising the control group were subject to normal levels of treatment. The treatment lasted 18 weeks and consisted of a combination of weekly meetings with caseworkers and intensive mandatory return-to-work activities in the form of either a graded return-to-work (partial sick leave) and/or traditional activation and/or paramedical care.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Sick-listed workers were assigned to treatment based on whether their birth year was an even or odd number.
Randomization Unit
individual sick-listed workers
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
(no clusters)
Sample size: planned number of observations
5,652 sick-listed workers
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
2,857 workers treatment

2,795 workers control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
April 30, 2009, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
April 30, 2009, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
(no clusters)
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
Yes
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
(Same as initial; exempt workers were still counted as part of treatment group)
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
(Same as initial; exempt workers were still counted as part of treatment group)
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

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Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Abstract
Using data from a large-scale randomized controlled trial conducted in Danish job centers,
this paper investigates the effects of an intensification of mandatory return-to-work activities
on the subsequent labor market outcomes for sick-listed workers. Using variations in local
treatment strategies, both between job centers and between randomly assigned treatment
and control groups within a given job center, we compare the relative effectiveness of
alternative interventions. Our results show that the use of partial sick leave increases the
length of time spent in regular employment and non-reliance on benefits, and also reduces
the time spent in unemployment. Traditional active labor market programs and the use of
paramedical care appear to have no effect at all, or even an adverse effect.
Citation
Kai Rehwald, Michael Rosholm, B̩n̩dicte and Rouland. "Activating Sick-listed Workers: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment." Preliminary Working Paper, October 2013.

Reports & Other Materials