Premium
Human Costs of Organizational Downsizing: Comparing Health Trends Between Leavers and Stayers
Author(s) -
Kivimäki Mika,
Vahtera Jussi,
Elovainio Marko,
Pentti Jaana,
Virtanen Marianna
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1023/a:1025642806557
Subject(s) - health psychology , public health , psychology , demographic economics , gerontology , business , environmental health , medicine , nursing , economics
We studied health‐related selection and consequences of an organizational downsizing among 886 municipal employees. Measurements of health indicators were conducted before any rumor of the downsizing and immediately after the downsizing 3 years later. Results of predownsizing health showed that those who did not find employment after the staff reductions were older employees with high preexisting morbidity. Those getting a new job elsewhere were younger and had better health already before the downsizing than the stayers. After the downsizing, deterioration of health was most likely in the stayers working in groups of major staff reductions and among the nonemployed leavers. In the reemployed leavers, the risk of increased health problems was lower than in others including employees working in no or minor downsizing groups.