The Effect of Subjective Health Status on Job Satisfaction among Injured Workers Returning to Their Original Workplace: The Mediating Effect of Job Performance Ability and the Moderating Effect of Stress Management

The government enacted the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act and has promoted various policies to support workers injured on the job in successfully returning to their original workplaces. However, the return-to-work rate of these workers remains relatively low. This study utilizes data from the 1st year of the 3rd cohort of the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service's Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Panel Survey to analyze the impact of injured workers' subjective health status on job satisfaction after returning to their original workplace. Additionally, it examines the mediating effect of job performance ability and the moderating effect of stress management. The analysis results demonstrate that subjective health status significantly affects both job satisfaction and job performance ability, and job performance ability significantly impacts job satisfaction. Furthermore, the study validates the mediating effect of job performance ability and the moderating effect of stress management in the relationship between subjective health status and job satisfaction. These research findings suggest the need for institutional improvements to support the successful social reintegration of injured workers, including the expansion of case management services, support for creating suitable work environments, and the establishment of return-to-work policies tailored to different levels of stress.