Objective

To study the use of the Pregnancy occupational risk benefit (PORB) and non-work related sickness absence (NWSA) in a cohort of pregnant workers of Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona (Spain).

Method

Retrospective cohort study of 428 pregnant workers between 2010 and 2014, who were followed-up until delivery. Absences from work, both PORB and NWSA were recorded until the beginning of their maternity leave. The sequence analysis identifies four trajectories, which are described according to workers demographic and job characteristics.

Results

Of the total cohort, 56 (13.1%) accessed only the PORB, representing 6.126 days of absence; 68 (15.9%) also accessed PORB, with 7.127 days of absence, but had previously accumulated 102 episodes of NWSA with 1.820 days of absence. The majority of pregnant workers in the sample (69.9%) took only one or several episodes of NWSA without using PORB, with 545 episodes and 26,337 days of absence. Most were active during the first quarter and it is from the second quarter that episodes of long-term NWSA appeared. During the last month of pregnancy more than 80% of the workers were absent from work.

Conclusions

Pregnant workers remained at work for two thirds of their pregnancy. Absences were mainly due to episodes of NWSA. PORB represented one third of them. As in other similar countries, our results suggest a change in the management of social protection benefits for pregnant workers.

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