Abstract

DUE TO STRIKE ACTION , this seminar will be moved to a later date (in Lent term).

Abstract: Based on the pension records of around 30,000 British postal workers who retired between 1860 and 1908, together with additional information about death, the Addressing Health project is exploring the dimensions and experience of sickness in the Post Office workforce. This individual level information provides an opportunity to compare health outcomes by person (occupation, age, gender), place and time. By following through a subset of workers(c. 8000) to the time of their death, we can also understand better the relationship between sickness and death. Preliminary results show distinct regional variations in health outcomes: Scottish workers, for example, took less time off sick than their equivalent English counterparts. Health outcomes were particularly bad for indoor sorters compared to postmen who delivered the mail, even in similar locations. The majority of retirements were the result of sickness, including poor mental health. By identifying these kinds of health outcomes, we can begin to understand better the significance of the workplace in relation to health, taking into account geographical as well as occupational and personal factors.