270 Appendix Summary Some workers face more difficulties to remain sustainably employed. This group consists for a large part of workers with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) and of workers with a work disability. Both of these groups have a vulnerable position in the labor market and often face health problems in combination with problems on other life domains. Therefore, it is important to facilitate sustainable employment among workers in a vulnerable position, namely workers with a lower SEP and workers with a work disability. Research shows that individual skills, but also factors in the work and personal environment are important to remain sustainably employed. Regarding individual skills, workers in a vulnerable position may have a lower health literacy, which makes it more difficult to take responsibility for their health and well-being and to effectively deal with (health) problems. Workers in a vulnerable position also experience more unfavorable factors in both the work and personal environment, which lead to poorer health outcomes. Considering this, it is important to support workers in a vulnerable position to effectively deal with (health) problems that affect their sustainable employability. To improve the health and sustainable employability of workers in a vulnerable position, occupational health professionals (OHPs) and supervisors can provide adequate support. However, OHPs spend most of their time providing advice to workers already on sick leave, instead of on preventive activities. OHPs can play a key role in the early detection of problems and in solving them both in- and outside the workplace. For this more knowledge is needed on how OHPs can fulfill a role in supporting workers with solving (health) problems. Moreover, support from supervisors, such as social support and a good relationship with the supervisor, also plays a key role in achieving sustainable employability. Therefore, more knowledge is needed on how supervisors can adequately guide workers in a vulnerable position at the workplace. The overall aim of this thesis is to address the importance of improving the health and sustainable employability of workers in a vulnerable position, more specifically of workers with a lower SEP and workers with a work disability, and to investigate how workers with a lower SEP and with problems on multiple life domains can be adequately supported by OHPs, and how workers with a work disability can be adequately supported by supervisors at the workplace. The specific aims are: 1. To investigate the differences of exit from work on health between workers with a low SEP and workers with a high SEP. 2. To develop and evaluate a preventive intervention for OHPs to improve the health and sustainable employability of workers with a lower SEP and with
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