Background: Employees with impaired work ability might be at higher risk of remaining shorter in the job than those with adequate work ability. The aim of the study was to establish whether work ability plays a role in job survival.
Methods: Four-year follow-up (2008-2012) study of 1037 employees of a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Work ability was categorized as "adequate" or "impaired". Employment status at the end of follow-up was categorized as active, resignation or dismissal. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional-hazards model.
Results: About 78.9% of the participants had adequate and 21.1% impaired work ability. Job survival was longer for the participants with adequate work ability independently from the type of job termination (p < 0.001). The odds of job termination were higher for the participants with impaired work ability (p < 0.001) who either resigned (hazard ratio-HR = 1.58) or were dismissed (HR = 1.68).
Conclusion: Job survival was shorter for the employees with impaired work ability independently from the type of job termination. It was also shorter for the employees who were dismissed compared to those who resigned. Duration in the job might be extended through actions to enhance work ability.
Keywords: aging; healthcare worker; life course; longitudinal studies; prolonged work career; work ability.