Current issues in assessing the expected professional longevity of employees

Introduction. The task of maintaining the professional longevity of employees, particularly in technology-intensive and potentially hazardous industries, is becoming increasingly relevant in the context of aging populations and increasing life expectancy. Existing methods for assessing occupational health are in many cases fragmented and fail to account for the entire set of physical, psychological, and social factors. In this article, we address this issue by developing an integral group index of professional longevity (IGIPL).

Objective. The development and implementation of the IGIPL as a tool for quantitative assessment of the level of professional longevity among nuclear industry employees, taking into account morbidity, health status, results of medical examinations and psychophysiological testing, stress levels, and engagement.

Materials and methods. A retrospective study covering the period of 2023–2024 was conducted. The analysis was based on depersonalized data from employees of VNIITF (Snеzhinsk) and the Kalinin NPP (Udomlya). The study included HR reports on morbidity with temporary disability (TD), final reports of periodic medical examinations (PME), annual reports of psychophysiological examinations (PPE), as well as the results of corporate surveys on stress levels (SL) and emotional burnout (EB). We present only relative summary data, without considering working conditions in the index calculation. Standardized methods were used to assess the parameters, including the Perceived Stress Scale-10, the Burnout Assessment Tool, and the E.L. Notkin method for analyzing TD.

Results. The calculation of the IGIPL showed a positive trend. Thus, the index increased by 2.6 points at the Kalinin NPP (a rise from 69.6 to 72.2 points) and decreased at VNIITF (from 67.2 to 65.8 points). The key factor that had the most pronounced negative impact was the high rate of morbidity with temporary disability (1914 days per 100 workers at VNIITF). At the Kalinin NPP, an improvement in the distribution of employees by health groups and a decrease in the proportion of individuals with a high level of emotional burnout were recorded, indicating the effectiveness of the preventive measures implemented by the organization.

Conclusions. The IGIPL has proven its effectiveness as a tool for monitoring professional longevity and identifying risk areas. The study results underscore the necessity for comprehensive programs aimed at reducing morbidity, managing stress, and increasing employee engagement. The IGIPL methodology can be adapted for other industries. Its further elaboration will enhance the accuracy of assessments. The data obtained hold practical significance for developing corporate programs aimed at preserving health and extending the professional longevity of employees.

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