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Sick leaves among healthy pregnant Croatian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic due to loopholes in the occupational safety system Cover

Sick leaves among healthy pregnant Croatian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic due to loopholes in the occupational safety system

Open Access
|Jun 2024

Figures & Tables

Self-reported actions taken by participating HCWs (N=173) after having notified their employer about pregnancy

Actions taken after having notified the employer about pregnancyParticipants (%)
TWI due to pregnancy complications despite a normal pregnancy37.0
Continuation of work at the same place with adjustment to reduce the risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications18.5
Healthy pregnant worker’s paid leave at the expense of the employer due to the impossibility of reducing the risk or transferring to other jobs16.8
Continuation of work at the same place with acceptable risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications15.0
Transferring to other jobs with lower risk until MML or until TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications6.4
Continuation of work at the same place with unacceptable* risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications5.8
Termination of employment0.6

Healthcare institutions where study participants worked (N=173)

Healthcare institutionN%
Hospitals12169.9
Health centres1911.0
Croatian Institute of Public Health84.6
Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine74.0
Pharmacies63.5
Other healthcare facilities and nursing homes127.0

Differences between physicians and nurses in self-reported actions taken after having notified the employer about pregnancy

Actions taken after notifying the employer about pregnancyPhysicians N=123 (%)Nurses N=34 (%)P
Continuation of work at the same place with unacceptable* risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications5.75.91.000
Continuation of work at the same place with acceptable risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications19.50.00.002
Continuation of work at the same place with adjustment to reduce the risk, until MML or until the TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications16.317.60.800
Transferring to other jobs with lower risk until MML or until TWI occurs due to pregnancy complications5.711.80.254
TWI due to pregnancy complications despite normal pregnancy30.158.80.004
Healthy pregnant worker’s paid leave at the expense of the employer due to inability to minimise the risk or transfer to a safer job22.05.90.043
Termination of employment0.70.01.000

Social media groups and associations through which we approached HCWs with an invitation to participate in the survey

Croatian HCW Facebook groups:
(original Croatian title / English translation)
Mladi liječnici u PZZ – konzultacije / Young doctors in PHC – consultations
Specijalizanti / Residents
Zdravstveni djelatnici u sustavu socijalne skrbi / Health workers in the social care system
Grupa za potporu i kritike djelatnicima Hitne medicinske pomoći – HMP / Group for support and criticism of Emergency Medical Aid workers – EMA
Medicinske sestre/tehničari – Glas sestrinstva / Nurses – The Voice of Nursing
Inicijativa medicinskih sestara-medicinskih tehničara / Nurse Initiative

Croatian HCW associations:
Croatian Chamber of Nurses, Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists, Croatian Chamber of Physiotherapists, Croatian Chamber of Midwives, Croatian Chamber of Dental Medicine, Croatian Chamber of Health Workers – The Professional Class for Medical Laboratory Work, The Professional Class for Occupational Therapy and The Professional Class for Health Radiological-technological Work, Croatian Psychological Chamber, Association for Reality Therapy of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Chamber of Psychotherapists, Croatian Speech Therapy Association, Croatian Doula Association
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2024-75-3851 | Journal eISSN: 1848-6312 | Journal ISSN: 0004-1254
Language: English, Croatian, Slovenian
Page range: 110 - 115
Submitted on: Apr 1, 2024
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Accepted on: Jun 1, 2024
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Published on: Jun 29, 2024
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2024 Tea Samardžić, Roko Žaja, Jelena Macan, published by Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.