Factors of presenteeism and its association with detrimental effects among employees in Switzerland working in different sectors - a cross-sectional study using a multi-item instrument

PURPOSE

Presenteeism, the phenomenon of employees working despite illness, is a significant issue globally, impacting individual well-being and organizational efficiency. This study examines presenteeism among Swiss employees, exploring its occurrence, primary factors, reasons, and impact on employees' health.

METHODS

This study used cross-sectional data from 1,521 employees in different sectors in Switzerland. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear models for influencing factors and detrimental effects, such as burnout symptoms, job satisfaction, general health, and quality of life, were calculated for data analysis. Presenteeism was measured using the Hägerbäumer multi-item scale, ranging from 1 = "Never in case of illness" - 5 = "Very often in case of illness."

RESULTS

The employees reported that in case of illness, they rarely worked in the last 12 months M = 2.04 (SD = 1.00). A positive approach to presenteeism in the team was associated with less presenteeism (β = -0.07) and problematic leadership culture in dealing with presenteeism with increased presenteeism (β = 0.10). In addition to well-known factors, presenteeism was significant for burnout symptoms (β = 1.49), general health status (β = -1.5), and quality of life (β = -0.01).

CONCLUSION

The study offers insights into the phenomenon of presenteeism among Swiss employees in various sectors by applying a multi-item scale for presenteeism. The findings indicate that a positive team dynamic and organizational culture may significantly reduce presenteeism. Presenteeism behavior is a significant factor of adverse outcomes. This highlights the importance of acknowledging presenteeism in the context of occupational health.

Exploring anesthesiology nurse' presenteeism in China: cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The department of anesthesiology is the main battlefield for the treatment of acute and critical patients, with high work risk and high work pressure. Due to the particularity of the working environment and nature of work, medical staff have become a group with a high incidence of occupational exhaustion and presenteeism.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the current status of presenteeism among anesthesiology nurses in China and to analyze the related influencing factors.

METHODS

Three hundred twelve anesthesiology nurses in Sichuan Province were surveyed by means of general data questionnaire, presenteeism scale, work-family conflict scale, perceived social support scale, occupational commitment scale and stress resistance scale from September to November 2023 by convenience sampling method.

RESULTS

The total score of presenteeism was (14.67 ± 3.92), the score of work-family conflict was (45.44 ± 15.90), the score of professional commitment was (87.28 ± 14.30), and the score of perceived social support was (66.04 ± 12.78). The evaluation score of stress resistance was (73.35 ± 11.54). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, education, mode of employment, position, overtime hours per week, work-family conflict, perceived social support and stress resistance were the factors that affected the presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses, which could explain 44.1% of the total variation. The position ( β = 0.296, P < 0.001), overtime hours per week (h) ( β = 0.271, P < 0.001), perceived social support ( β = -0.279, P < 0.001) turned out as the stronger predictors of presenteeism.

CONCLUSION

The presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses is at a high level and needs to be further improved. Clinical nursing managers should pay attention to the physical and mental health and special needs of anesthesiology nurses. Interventions are made according to the main influencing factors, so as to reduce the incidence of presenteeism and improve the quality and safety of surgery.

Exploring presenteeism trends: a comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis

Objective

This research will conduct a bibliometric and content analysis of presenteeism from 2000 to 2023. It aims to investigate publication trends, authorship patterns, and significant publications by using presenteeism conceptualizations, measurements, determinants, consequences, and interventions analysis. The study provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about understanding and addressing workplace presenteeism issues.

Methods

The research involved conducting a bibliometric study to analyze presenteeism publication trends, authorship patterns, and significant publications. It also explored the evolution of presenteeism research over time, identifying contributing countries, institutions, and writers. The interdisciplinary nature of presenteeism research was emphasized, covering occupational health, psychology, management, and public health. The researchers have used VOS Viewer and R Studio (biblioshiny) for this study.

Results

The study identified several elements influencing presenteeism, such as health issues, work-related factors, organizational culture, and individual characteristics. It further examined the impact of organizational policies, leadership support, employee assistance programs, and health promotion activities in reducing absenteeism and enhancing employee well-being. These findings highlight the importance of addressing these factors to mitigate presenteeism issues and promote a healthier work environment.

Conclusion

This research identified deficiencies in presenteeism research and provided recommendations for future investigations in this field. It emphasized the need for standardized measures and methodologies, longitudinal studies to understand causality, and industry- and population-specific interventions. These insights can guide future research directions and interventions to address presenteeism issues in a rapidly changing work and research landscape.

Extent and predictors of presenteeism among healthcare professionals working in Swiss hospitals, nursing homes and home care organizations

Presenteeism can have negative impacts on employees' health and organizational productivity. It occurs more often among occupations with high attendance demands, such as healthcare professionals. Information is lacking regarding the extent to which presenteeism differs between disciplines and settings in the health sector and what the reasons are for presenteeism as well as influencing factors. This study used cross-sectional data on 15,185 healthcare professionals (nursing staff, midwives, physicians, medical-technical and medical-therapeutic professionals) from various settings (acute care, rehabilitation or psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and home care organizations). Presenteeism was measured by examining how many days participants had gone to work despite feeling sick during the past 12 months. Kruskal-Wallis was used to test for significant differences between healthcare professions/settings and regression analysis to identify significant predictors of presenteeism. Nursing assistants with a formal education reported the most days of presenteeism in the past 12 months (mean = 4.3, SD = 12.0). Healthcare professionals working in nursing homes reported the most days of presenteeism in the past 12 months (mean = 4.2, SD = 8.7). The majority of healthcare professionals had been present at work while being ill due to a sense of duty (83.7%), followed by consideration for colleagues and/or managers (76.5%). In particular, the psychiatric hospitals (β = 0.139; p < 0.001), nursing homes (β = 0.168; p < 0.001) and home care organizations (β = 0.092; p < 0.001), as well as the language regions of Swiss French (β = - 0.304; p < 0.001) and Italian (β = - 0.154; p < 0.001), were significantly associated with presenteeism. Presenteeism differs between disciplines and settings in the health sector. The reasons for presenteeism and its influencing factors in the health sector are mostly consistent with those in other sectors. Cultural differences should be afforded greater relevance in future presenteeism research.

Vorschlag eines umfassenden Modells zur Vorhersage von Präsentismus

Zusammenfassung. Das Phänomen „Präsentismus“ definiert als das Verhalten von Berufstätigen, trotz Vorliegen von Krankheitssymptomen der Arbeitstätigkeit nachzugehen. Studien haben gezeigt, dass verschiedene Faktoren Präsentismus beeinflussen. In der vorliegenden Untersuchung soll ein umfassendes Modell, das die Vorhersagequalität personenbedingter, organisationaler und arbeitsbezogener Faktoren hinsichtlich Präsentismus zeigt, entwickelt werden und damit bestehende Forschungsbefunde erweitern, um somit zu einem besseren Verständnis von Präsentismus beizutragen. Um die Fehlervarianz zu minimieren wurden über 800 Probanden eines einzigen Unternehmens befragt. Es zeigten sich Zusammenhänge von Präsentismus vor allem mit organisationalen und arbeitsbezogenen Faktoren, i.e. „Arbeitsplatzsicherheit“, „empfundene Gerechtigkeit“, „Unterstützung des Vorgesetzten“, „Funktion“ sowie „Vertretung im Krankheitsfall“, während nur „Gesundheitszustand“ als einziger personenbedingter Aspekt einen Prädiktionswert hatte.

Associations between job and workplace factors, health and physical factors, personal factors, and presenteeism among general employees in Japan: A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

Presenteeism is gaining attention as an occupational health issue in Japan. However, few studies have longitudinally examined the associations between work- and health-related factors and presenteeism using validated instruments in Japan. Drawing on a theoretical framework, we aimed to examine longitudinal associations between job and workplace factors, health and physical factors, personal factors, and presenteeism among Japanese general employees. We also aimed to use the findings to identify educational factors to reduce presenteeism in the Japanese occupational field.

METHODS

We conducted two surveys (T1: conducted 2019; T2: conducted 2020) in a Japanese food-related company using a self-administered questionnaire. Presenteeism was assessed using a work functioning impairment scale (WFun). We used multiple linear regression analysis to examine the associations between each factor at T1 and presenteeism at T2.

RESULTS

A total of 2914 employees completed the T1 survey (response rate: 55.7%) and 1467 completed the T2 survey. Thus, we analyzed data for 1467 employees. Of these, 1038 (70.8%) were men and 886 (60.4%) were aged over 40 years at T1. The mean presenteeism score at T2 was 15.06 (standard deviation: 6.22). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that job demands, self-rated health status, dietary choices, and health literacy were associated with presenteeism after 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that job demands, self-rated health status, dietary habits, and health literacy were associated with higher degree of presenteeism in future. Further intervention studies focusing on these factors are needed to develop and examine effective interventions to reduce presenteeism in Japan.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Psychosocial Factors and Sickness Presenteeism in Japanese Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

We examined the association between socioeconomic and health status, and lifestyle and sickness presenteeism among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 epidemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using an Internet-monitor survey was conducted in December, 2020 in Japan. Of 33,302 survey participants, we analyzed 27,036 participants (13,814 men and 13,222 women) who reported experience with sickness presenteeism.

RESULTS

The odds ratio (OR) of sickness presenteeism associated with unmarried versus married status was 1.15. Respective figures for other variables were 1.11 for manual laboring work compared to desk work; 1.79 and 2.29 for loss of employment at the time the pandemic began and continuation of unemployment compared with maintaining employment during the pandemic; and 3.34 for a feeling of financial instability compared with stability.

CONCLUSION

The issue of sickness presenteeism has become more prominent under the COVID-19 epidemic.

A cross-sectional epidemiological study of the relationship between sleep duration, quality, and rhythm and presenteeism in workers

This study aims to examine the relationship of sleep (sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep rhythm) with presenteeism in workers while controlling for other confounding factors. A total of 2375 workers of six Japanese companies received self-administered questionnaires from June to November 2018. Information on sleep duration was used to evaluate sleep quantity, the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to evaluate sleep quality, and workers' engagement in shift work was used to determine their sleep rhythms. We used the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire to evaluate presenteeism. Information on lifestyle (exercise, smoking, etc.), sex, and age was also collected. We conducted a logistic regression analysis with high absolute/relative presenteeism as an objective variable, sleep duration, AIS, and shift work as dependent variables, and basic attributes and lifestyle factors as adjustment factors. Completed questionnaires were collected from 1992 workers (aged 18-79 years; 25.2% women; response rate: 83.9%). Logistic regression analysis showed that high absolute presenteeism was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (high AIS score; P < 0.001) but not with sleep duration (P = 0.326) and shift work (P = 0.177). High relative absenteeism was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (high AIS score; P = 0.001) but not with sleep duration (P = 0.461) or shift work (P = 0.245). We showed that poor sleep quality is significantly associated with a high level of presenteeism. This suggests focusing on improving sleep quality is important for reducing presenteeism among workers.

Teleworking While Sick: A Three-Wave Study of Psychosocial Safety Climate, Psychological Demands, and Presenteeism

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the proportion of employees for whom teleworking became mandatory. Presenteeism, or the behavior of working while ill, has hardly been studied in the context of telework. The pandemic forced millions of workers to abruptly transition to working from home for a prolonged period of time, leaving employers often unaware of their health status or work capacity of the workers. This change also eroded the work experience itself, the workplace, and their protective impact on both individual health and work outcomes. This study focused on the longitudinal relationships among psychosocial safety climate (PSC), a lead indicator of workplace conditions, psychological demands, an indicator of quality of work, and presenteeism among a representative sample of teleworkers. PSC was expected to have an indirect impact on presenteeism with psychological demands as a mediator of this impact. Method: We collected the data from a representative sample of teleworkers in the first months (T1: April, T2: June, and T3: December 2020) of the pandemic using a three-wave online survey (n = 275). We tested a model of PSC as a determinant of presenteeism in teleworkers with psychological demands as a mediator. A cross-lagged panel model was estimated to test cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships. Findings: As expected, psychological demands increased over time. Contrary to expectations, the prevalence of presenteeism remained unchanged while PSC increased over time. The data fully supported the mediating effect of psychological demands such that a higher evaluation of PSC at T1 led to lower psychological demands at T2, which led to reduced presenteeism at T3. We also found a reciprocal relationship, with higher psychological demands at T2 leading to decreased evaluation of PSC at T3. These results show that the perception of teleworkers on their organization as giving a high priority to their psychological health is an important determinant of their work experience, ultimately influencing their decision to work while ill. The context of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of a positive workplace climate and working conditions for reducing the behaviors that can be harmful to health and productivity. Implications for theory and practice, beyond the pandemic, are discussed.

Changes in patients' outlook, behaviors, and attitudes toward COVID-19 after hospitalization and their experiences of discrimination and harassment

Objective

This study aims to examine changes in patients’ perspectives and outlooks regarding the disease and their health after hospitalization for COVID-19 and investigate their discrimination and harassment experiences. This prospective observational study surveyed discharged patients who had been admitted to Hyogo Prefectural Tamba Medical Center in Japan for COVID-19. Patient characteristics, changes in outlook and behaviors after discharge, and incidents of discrimination and harassment were examined. The study was conducted in two waves: March–June 2020 and July–September 2020.

Results

Responses were obtained from 27 patients aged 50 ± 17 years, including 16 men (59.3%). We found most patients feared infection before hospitalization (88.5%) and had taken some preventive measures (96.3%), however after discharge, all (100%) practiced social distancing and infection prevention. Twenty patients (80%) considered changing their lifestyles, and 19 (79.2%) decided to use sick leave when they felt ill; these trends were more prominent during the second wave. Six patients (23.1%) reported experiencing discrimination or harassment after discharge. While most patients with COVID-19 had a strong fear of infection before hospitalization, their views about health and health behaviors changed after hospitalization.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-021-05780-9.

Factors Associated With the Presenteeism of Single-Person Household Employees in Korea: The 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS)

OBJECTIVE

The number of single-person households is rapidly increasing worldwide. Many workers from these households have to work even when they are sick, leading to presenteeism. The study aimed to identify factors affecting presenteeism in workers from single-person households.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective survey, a secondary data analysis using data from the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey of 2017.

RESULTS

Of 2156 workers, 366 (17%) showed presenteeism and 1790 (83%) did not. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that being a woman, subjective health status being moderate or good, presence of disease, longer commuting hours, and longer working hours per week are related to presenteeism.

CONCLUSIONS

To reduce the presenteeism of workers from single-person households, specific programs and organizational policies can be developed.

Association Between Presenteeism/Absenteeism and Well-being Among Korean Workers

OBJECTIVE

Absenteeism and presenteeism refer to loss in productivity related to sick leave and illness, respectively, which affect physical and mental health. We examined the association between presenteeism/absenteeism and level of well-being among Korean workers.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 44,019 participants who completed the 2017 Korean Working Conditions Survey. The World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to screen the well-being level. We examined the association between presenteeism/absenteeism and level of well-being using multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

WHO-5 scores were lower among workers who experienced presenteeism or absenteeism than those who experienced neither (presenteeism: β = -1.011, P < 0.0001, absenteeism: β = -0.403, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Presenteeism and absenteeism were associated with lower level of well-being. We suggest that their management is important for maintaining the health of Koreans.

Reasons for presenteeism in different occupational branches in Sweden: a population based cross-sectional study

Objective

To compare the prevalence and reasons for presenteeism in occupations in three branches defined as employees handling people, handling things or handling symbols.

Method

A cross-sectional population-based cohort study was conducted. The study group was drawn from a representative sample (n = 6230) aged 16–64, who had been interviewed in 2015 or in 2017 for the Swedish Work Environment Surveys (SWES). The odds ratios (ORs) stratified by occupational category for reasons of presenteeism, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), were estimated using binomial multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

The study showed that presenteeism was more common among employees handling people (74%), when compared to employees handling things (65%) or handling symbols (70%). The most common reason for presenteeism among employees handling people was “I do not want to burden my colleagues”, while “Because nobody else can carry out my responsibilities” was most common in the other two categories. After control for socio-demography, work environments and health, the differences in reasons mostly remained significant between the three occupational categories.

Conclusion

The differences between occupational categories are important for prevalence and reasons for presenteeism. As presenteeism affects the future health of employees and the productivity of the work unit, attempts to reduce presenteeism may be important. Because the reasons vary between occupations, customized preventive measures should be applied in different occupational settings. Among employees handling people, covering up for absence in work team is relevant, while among employees handling symbols and handling things the corresponding focus could be on shared responsibilities for specific tasks.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00420-021-01701-2.

Potential Work Time Lost Due to Sickness Absence and Presence Among Japanese Workers

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to quantify the overall sickness absence and sickness presence in five Japanese companies.

METHODS

Two indicators were calculated: worktime lost rates and average working days lost per employee per annum.

RESULTS

In total, 1.1% of working days per annum were lost due to sick leave. The average number of annual sick-leave days per employee was 2.58. Sickness presence accounted for a total worktime loss of 6.55% and an average of 15.36 work days lost per employee per annum. Overall, employees lost 7.65% of their total working days, or an average of 17.92 days were lost per employee per annum, due to sickness leave and sickness presence combined.

CONCLUSION

Sickness-absence rate among Japanese workers is quite lower than other countries; however, sickness presence is more critical than absenteeism, which is in line with other countries.

Timing matters: worker absenteeism in a weekly backward rotating shift model

OBJECTIVES

We analyze the impact of the positioning of shifts (morning, afternoon, night) on worker absenteeism in a large German automobile plant.

METHODS

Using a completely balanced panel of 153 organizational units over the 2-year-period 2009 to 2010 (i.e. 104 consecutive weeks with 15,912 unit-week-observations) we estimate a series of GLM and Fixed Effects models.

RESULTS

Our main finding is that during afternoon shifts absence rates are significantly higher than during either morning or night shifts and that absence rates are particularly high during the afternoon shift immediately following the 3 weeks of consecutive night shifts. We attribute our first finding to the "social opportunity costs" of working and the second one to a "tax evasion effect".

CONCLUSIONS

When designing new shift models, firms should try to anticipate their workers' reaction to avoid unintended incentives.

Predictors of Presenteeism Among Hospital Employees-A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study in Switzerland

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine work- and person-related predictors of the largely "invisible" behavior and phenomenon of presenteeism among employees in a health-care setting in German-speaking Switzerland.

METHODS

Self-reported survey data from 1840 employees of four hospitals and two rehabilitation clinics collected in 2015 and 2016 were utilized and analyzed.

RESULTS

All studied work-related factors such as patient contact, job satisfaction, high work load, forced overtime, fear of job-loss, and particularly mental strain turned out to be significant and relevant predictors of presenteeism. Younger employees, female workers, and employees with a chronic disease also were more likely to show presenteeism.

CONCLUSION

Work stress, work without patients, job dissatisfaction, a chronic disease, and/or a younger age or rather less work experience seem to increase the chances of presenteeism among health-care workers.

Factors Related to Presenteeism among South Korean Workers Exposed to Workplace Psychological Adverse Social Behavior

Presenteeism negatively affects both individuals and society. This study identified factors of presenteeism among workers in South Korea, especially in relation to exposure to adverse social behaviors. Here, an adverse social behavior refers to any forms of workplace violence or intimidation. This study used the data from 23,164 full-time salaried employees, who participated in the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. This study attempted to predict presenteeism based on the exposure to adverse social behaviors and working conditions using logistic regression. Presenteeism was reported in 15.9% of the sample. Presenteeism was significantly higher among workers with the following characteristics: females, aged 40 years or older; middle school graduates; over 40 working hours a week; shift workers; no job-related safety information received; exposure to adverse social behavior and discrimination; and those with a high demand for quantitative work, low job autonomy, high emotional demands, and high job stress. The workers exposed to adverse social behavior showed a higher prevalence of presenteeism (41.2%), and low job autonomy was the most significant predictor of presenteeism. The findings of this study suggest that allowing enough autonomy in job-related roles may help alleviate presenteeism among those who have experienced adverse social behavior at work.

Fatores associados ao presenteísmo em trabalhadores da indústria

Resumo Introdução: o presenteísmo pode ser definido como estar no trabalho mesmo percebendo limitações, físicas ou psíquicas, que podem reduzir a capacidade laborativa. Objetivos: estimar a prevalência do presenteísmo e sua associação com características sociodemográficas, estilos de vida, aspectos relacionais no trabalho e interpessoais e condições gerais de saúde em trabalhadores da indústria na Bahia. Métodos: o presenteísmo foi medido pelo somatório das respostas positivas às questões sobre falta de vontade, falta de concentração e indisposição ou desânimo para o trabalho, em conjunto com o absenteísmo negativo. Utilizou-se na análise multivariada o modelo de Poisson com variância robusta para estimar a magnitude das associações por meio da razão de prevalências. Resultados: entre os dados analisados de 2.093 trabalhadores, ter menos de 30 anos, ter maior escolaridade, apresentar dor, dormir mal, sentir-se estressado e experimentar sentimentos negativos em relação à vida associaram-se a maiores prevalências de presenteísmo. Conclusão: o presenteísmo pode evoluir para piora progressiva da saúde do trabalhador. Portanto, identificá-lo precocemente e promover intervenções para reduzir seus determinantes é um desafio para as organizações.

Preventing Suicide Among Working-Age Adults: The Correlates of Help-Seeking Behavior

We aimed to identify the correlates with not seeking help among working-age adults with suicidal ideation. By adapting the integrated model of suicide help-seeking, we examined help-seeking behavior in the following 3 stages: problem recognition, decision to seek help, and sources of help. We used a sample of working-age adults between 26 and 64 years old, who reported suicidal ideation in the past year (N = 1414). Data were drawn from the 2011 and 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied. Findings suggested that being male, being nonwhite, being employed full-time, having lower levels of general mental health needs, and not having health insurance were associated with not seeking help. Results also indicated how each factor was related in the help-seeking pathway. Strategies to help problem recognition can be effective in enhancing help-seeking behavior among men, racial/ethnic minorities, and those without serious clinical conditions. Help-seeking interventions for working-age adults with suicidal ideation should also consider that race/ethnic minorities and those with lower levels of functional impairment might rely on alternative sources of help, such as family, friends, and religious advisors.

Working while sick: validation of the multidimensional presenteeism exposures and productivity survey for nurses (MPEPS-N)

Background

Presenteeism is the employee behaviour of physically attending work with reduced performance due to illness or for other reasons. Nurses are four times more likely to exhibit presenteeism compared to other occupations, threatening patient safety through increased patient falls, medication errors and staff-to-patient disease transmission. There is a paucity of standardized instruments that quantify the association between presenteeism with its exposures and related productivity. This study aims to validate an instrument that comprehensively measures presenteeism workplace and personal exposures specifically for Asian nurses.

Methods

Questionnaire domain items were selected based on the JD-R framework and a previously conducted systematic review of pre-existing validated scales measuring work attendance exposures used in previous healthcare studies. The preliminary questionnaire consisted of two outcomes (presenteeism frequency, productivity) and five exposure domains: work resources, work demands, work stress, work engagement, personal traits and health.

Content validation and back translation (English-Cantonese Chinese-English) were carried out. Responses from full-time nurses working in two acute care hospitals (Preliminary questionnaire at Hospital 1: N = 295 and main round questionnaire at Hospital 2: N = 1146) were included in the validation study to ensure an adequate sample size of ten cases per indicator variable for CFA analysis. A random sample of 80 nurses from Hospital 1 were selected for test-retest reliability 4 weeks post the initial survey. Internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity tests were also tested.

Results

Satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7), test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.4); and construct validity - convergent and discriminant validity was achieved. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded satisfactory fitness indices (CFI and TLI > 0.95, RMSEA < 0.08). Presenteeism and productivity significantly associated with all work resources, work engagement and work stress constructs in Hospital 2.

Conclusion

A reliable Multidimensional Presenteeism Exposures and Productivity Survey (MPEPS-N) has been validated in two distinct hospital environments. The instrument helps to identify and quantify organizational or individual exposures that significantly associate with presenteeism and its related productivity, thus allowing hospital managers to set evidence-based intervention targets for wellness programs and formulate human resource policies in reducing presenteeism-related productivity loss.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4373-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Millennials: sickness presenteeism and its correlates: a cross-sectional online survey

OBJECTIVE

Sickness presenteeism (SP) is a well-documented phenomenon in the current workforce. However, little is known about the SP of future employees (Millennials). We investigated rate and propensity of presenteeism and health-related and work-related correlates in university students to obtain information about the relevance of SP in the future workforce. Sickness presenteeism (SP) refers to going towork while ill.¹ DESIGN AND SETTING: We administered a cross-sectional online survey in August 2018 involving self-assessments of health-related and work-related behaviour. As planned, we analysed rates, instances and propensities of presenteeism and absenteeism. The target population was Millennial university students.

RESULTS

749 German university students, average age 24.7±3.6 years, 49.5% women, mean academic progress 4.5±2.7 semesters, <1% without work experience, 15.4±10.3 mean weekly working hours. Presenteeism rates in the complete sample were 64% at school and 60.4% at work. For the subsample of participants who reported sickness, presenteeism rates were 87.9% at school and 87% at work. Presenteeism propensity among them was 0.67±0.34 at school and 0.68±0.35 at work. SP at school and at work was significantly correlated with subjective health (r=0.29, p=0.000 and r=0.25, p=0.000) and locus of control (r=-0.20, p=0.000 and r=-0.26, p=0.000). Age and sex adjusted multiple regression analysis showed that subjective health explained 9.7% of the variance in SP at school (B=0.049, p=0.000) and 8.1% of the variance in SP at work (B=0.037, p=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

The SP rates of the future workforce were in line with previous research on older employees, whereas the presenteeism propensities we found here were higher. Across all analyses, subjective health proved to be associated with presenteeism. Thus, the relevance of SP will remain constant or might even increase with regard to the future workforce. Programmes offering health education should be implemented to sensitise this generation as early as possible.

Sickness presenteeism: Are we sure about what we are studying? A research based on a literature review and an empirical illustration

BACKGROUND

There has been an increasing interest in studying sickness presenteeism (SP). An ever-increasing amount of scientific literature is published using this term, yet there appears to be considerable heterogeneity in how it is assessed, which could result in substantial differences in the definition and interpretation of the phenomenon really being studied. We aim to discuss what really is being studied, depending on how the phenomenon is operationalized, measured, and analyzed.

METHODS

A study based on a literature review and an empirical illustration using data of the third Spanish Psychosocial Risks Survey (2016).

RESULTS

Differences are observed based on the population in which SP is measured, the cut-off points used to define a worker as presenteeist, the reasons for an SP episode and even an analysis of the phenomenon treated as a count or as a dichotomous.

CONCLUSIONS

Without being completely exclusive, it seems that restricting the population of analysis to only those workers who consider that they should not have gone to work due to their health, and/or establishing low cut-off points to define someone as presenteeist, would more clearly delimit the study of SP to the exercise of a right to sick leave. In contrast, working with the entire population or using high cut-off points appears to relate the study of SP more with health status and less with the exercise of rights. On the other hand, taking the reasons for SP into account would probably help to improve interpretation of the phenomenon.

Which healthcare workers work with acute respiratory illness? Evidence from Canadian acute-care hospitals during 4 influenza seasons: 2010-2011 to 2013-2014

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of acquiring and transmitting respiratory viruses while working in healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the incidence of and factors associated with HCWs working during an acute respiratory illness (ARI).

METHODS

HCWs from 9 Canadian hospitals were prospectively enrolled in active surveillance for ARI during the 2010-2011 to 2013-2014 influenza seasons. Daily illness diaries during ARI episodes collected information on symptoms and work attendance.

RESULTS

At least 1 ARI episode was reported by 50.4% of participants each study season. Overall, 94.6% of ill individuals reported working at least 1 day while symptomatic, resulting in an estimated 1.9 days of working while symptomatic and 0.5 days of absence during an ARI per participant season. In multivariable analysis, the adjusted relative risk of working while symptomatic was higher for physicians and lower for nurses relative to other HCWs. Participants were more likely to work if symptoms were less severe and on the illness onset date compared to subsequent days. The most cited reason for working while symptomatic was that symptoms were mild and the HCW felt well enough to work (67%). Participants were more likely to state that they could not afford to stay home if they did not have paid sick leave and were younger.

CONCLUSIONS

HCWs worked during most episodes of ARI, most often because their symptoms were mild. Further data are needed to understand how best to balance the costs and risks of absenteeism versus those associated with working while ill.

Prevalence, associated factors and reasons for sickness presenteeism: a cross-sectional nationally representative study of salaried workers in Spain, 2016

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sickness presenteeism (SP), its associated factors and the reasons given for SP episodes, among the overall salaried population and excluding the 'healthy' workers.

DESIGN

Population-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Salaried population in Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

Data were obtained from the third Spanish Psychosocial Risks Survey (2016), carried out between October and December 2016, n=1615.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reported episodes of SP and their reasons.

RESULTS

23.0% (95% CI 19.2 to 26.8) of the workers exhibit SP, whereas among those manifesting having had some health problem in the preceding year, the figure was 53.0% (95% CI 46.9 to 59.1). The factors associated with SP when we study all workers are age, seniority, salary structure, working more than 48 hours, the contribution of worker's wage to the total household income and downsizing; factors among the 'unhealthy' workers are working more than 48 hours and not having a contract. The most common reason for SP is 'did not want to burden my colleagues', 45.7% (95% CI 37.3 to 54.4), whereas 'I could not afford it for economic reasons' ranked third, 35.9% (29.4% to 42.9%), and 27.5% (21.3% to 34.6%) of the workers report 'worried about being laid off' as a reason for going to work despite being ill.

CONCLUSIONS

The estimated frequency of SP in Spain is lower than certain other countries, such as the Scandinavian countries. The factors associated vary depending on the population analysed (all workers or excluding 'healthy' workers). The reason 'I was worried about being laid off' was much more common than the estimates for Sweden or Norway.

Long working hours and sickness absence-a fixed effects design

Background

While long working hours seem to lead to impaired health, several studies have also shown that long working hours are related to lower levels of sickness absence. Previous studies on the relationship between long working hours and sickness absence have compared those who work long hours to those who do not, looking only at between-individual correlations. Those results might therefore reflect relatively stable differences between employees who typically work long hours and employees who typically do not. The aim of the present study is to examine within-individual correlations between long working hours and sickness absence.

Methods

Records from the Human Resources department in a large Norwegian hospital from 2012 to 2015 provided objective data on both working hours and sickness absence. Two analyses were performed: a prospective cohort analysis to replicate the results from previous between-individual analyses and a second analysis of within-individual correlations using a fixed effect design.

Results

In line with existing research, both between-individual and within-individual analyses showed a negative relationship between long working hours (> 48 h/week) and short-term sickness absence (1–8 days) and no significant difference in incidence of long-term sickness absence (> 8 days).

Conclusions

The results indicate that the negative relationship between long working hours and sickness absence is not due only to relatively stable individual differences between those who typically work long hours and those who do not. The results from both analyses therefore still contrast with previous research showing a negative relationship between long working hours and other health indicators.

Motives for sickness presence among students at secondary school: a cross-sectional study in five European countries

OBJECTIVES

This article investigates various motives for sickness presence (SP) among students in secondary school.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

25 secondary schools in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Italy and Latvia.

PARTICIPANTS

5002 students between 16 and 19 years of age, 49% female.

RESULTS

Almost half of the students reported two or more incidents of SP. The study indicated that the practice of SP was mainly extrinsically motivated. The most often reported motives for SP were that absence could affect grades negatively, that important curriculum material was explained at the school and attendance requirements. Some students practising SP expressed intrinsic motivation, such as maintaining their social network and interest in what was learnt at school.

CONCLUSION

The study investigated various motives for SP in secondary schools in five European countries. Extrinsic motivation for SP was more often reported than intrinsic motivation for SP. Multivariate analyses indicated that boys, students in vocational education, immigrants and students with low-educated parents more often reported intrinsic motivation for SP, while girls and students with high absence more often reported extrinsic motivation. There were also notable cross-country differences regarding reported motives for SP.

Leadership and Presenteeism among Scientific Staff: The Role of Accumulation of Work and Time Pressure

The present study examines the joint roles of leadership and stressors for presenteeism of scientific staff. Leaders may have an impact on employees' health, both directly through interpersonal interactions and by shaping their working conditions. In the field of science, this impact could be special because of the mentoring relationships between the employees (e.g., PhD students) and their supervisors (e.g., professors). Based on the job demands-resources framework (JD-R), we hypothesized that the pressure to be present at the workplace induced by supervisors (supervisorial pressure) is directly related to employees' presenteeism as well as indirectly via perceptions of time pressure. The conservation of resources theory (COR) states that resource loss resulting from having to deal with job demands weakens the resource pool and therefore the capacity to deal with other job demands. Thus, we hypothesized that accumulation of work moderates the relationship between supervisorial pressure and time pressure, such that the relationship is stronger when accumulation of work is high compared to if accumulation of work is low. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 212 PhD students and postdocs of 30 scientific institutions in Germany. Analysis was performed using the SPSS macro PROCESS (Hayes, 2013). Supervisorial pressure was directly associated with higher presenteeism of employees and indirectly through increased time pressure. Moreover, supervisorial pressure and accumulation of work interacted to predict time pressure, but in an unexpected way. The positive relationship between supervisorial pressure and time pressure is stronger when accumulation is low compared to if accumulation of work is high. It seems possible that job stressors do not accumulate but substitute each other. Threshold models might explain the findings. Moreover, specific patterns of interacting job demands for scientific staff should be considered in absence management.

Determining the level and cost of sickness presenteeism among hospital staff in Turkey

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the associations between sickness presenteeism and socio-demographic factors, perceived health status and health complaints among hospital staff and to calculate the cost burdens and productivity losses attributed to presenteeism.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using 951 hospital staff, including physicians, nurses, midwives, other health personnel and administrative staff working in two hospitals located in Kırıkkale province in Turkey. The health and work performance questionnaire developed by Kessler et al. was revised to measure sickness presenteeism.

RESULTS

After performing Student's t test and a one-way analysis of variance, presenteeism was mostly observed in women, nurse-midwives, young employees, university health staff and health workers with low health status. Average productivity loss and cost of lost productivity per staff member were calculated as 19.92 h/TRY 315.57 for 2 weeks and 478.08 h/TRY 7573.68 for 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

The problem of sickness presenteeism is mostly observed in women and nurses. It causes both financial burdens and productivity losses for hospitals. These survey results are thus expected to provide critically important information on presenteeism for decision-makers and healthcare managers.

Gender differences in Reasons for Sickness Presenteeism - a study among GPs in a Swedish health care organization

Background

It is common that physicians go to work while sick and therefore it is important to understand the reasons behind. Previous research has shown that women and men differ in health and health related behavior. In this study, we examine gender differences among general practitioners who work while sick.

Methods

General practitioners (GP’s) working in outpatient care in a Swedish city participated in the study (n = 283; women = 63 %; response rate = 41 %). Data were obtained from a large web-based questionnaire about health and organization within primary care. Two questions about sickness presenteeism (going to work while sick) were included; life-long and during the past 12 months, and five questions about reasons. We controlled for general health, work-family conflict and demographic variables.

Results

Female physicians reported sickness presenteeism more often than male physicians. Work-family conflict mediated the association between gender and sickness presenteeism.

Women reported reasons related with “concern for others” and “workload” more strongly than men. Men reported reasons related with “capacity” and “money” more strongly than women. These differences are likely effects of gender stereotyping and different family-responsibilities.

Conclusions

Gender socialization and gender stereotypes may influence work and health-related behavior. Because sickness presenteeism is related with negative effects both on individuals and at organizational levels, it is important that managers of health organizations understand the reasons for this, and how gender roles may influence the prevalence of sickness presenteeism and the reasons that female and male GPs give for their behavior.

Sickness presenteeism in clinical clerks: Negatively reinforced behavior or an issue of patient safety?

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate sickness presenteeism in medical students and to understand the factors that may promote this behavior.

METHODS

All 178 final year medical students (clinical clerks) at the University of Calgary, Class of 2014 were invited to complete an online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey. After completing each mandatory rotation, students were sent a link to the online survey. Students were asked to report days of illness and whether they attended clinical or educational activities while ill. Students were also asked about consequences of missed days and reasons for attending while ill.

RESULTS

Out of a possible 1,068 surveys, 549 surveys were returned, reflecting a 51% response rate. Overall, 37.0% ± 11.8% of the respondents reported attending while experiencing symptoms suggestive of a contagious illness. Overall, the odds of presenteeism (ie, attending while ill/absent while ill) for all clerkship rotations were 4.92. The most frequent reasons (56%) were concerns regarding evaluation or the impact that missing time from the rotation would have on their learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Sickness presenteeism is common among medical students. Relevant factors may be different for students than other health care workers. Medical educators should be aware of these factors when developing policies to help promote professionalism and patient safety.

Long-term sick leave and the impact of a graded return-to-work program: evidence from Germany

The implementation of a graded return-to-work (RTW) program to reintegrate the long-term sick started in Germany in 1971 and has been manifested in the Social Code Book V since 1989. Based on a return plan by the physician and the insured, participants increase their working hours slowly over a specified period of time. As participants are still classified as incapable of working they still receive sick leave benefits. Using claims data from the Techniker Krankenkasse, the largest German sickness fund, the study aims at identifying participants and analyzing the full return-to-work and the impact of the RTW program. Thereby, we account for socio-economic factors, insurance-based characteristics, and medical and health-related information. We consider a possible selection bias by using individual weights to analyze determinants of length of the sickness absence by applying models for survival analysis (Cox proportional hazard model). As a main result - depending on the central assumption of unconfoundedness - sickness absence is positively related to participation in the RTW program for those with sickness absence longer than 120 days. For mental disorders, our results indicate an even stronger effect. The study results emphasize the need further promotion of this instrument among those insured, physicians and employers, as occupational health management is one key for a successful return-to-work.

Presenteeism as a global phenomenon: unraveling the psychosocial mechanisms from the perspective of social cognitive theory

Purpose

Presenteeism occurs when people are physically present in the workplace but are functionally absent (Cooper, 1996). With evidence from the developed West, researchers have argued that being excessively present may be even costlier than absenteeism to employers (Burton, Chen, Conti, Schultz, & Edington, 2006; Hemp, 2004). However, research on presenteeism in the East is almost non-existent. With the strong Confucius cultural imperative for hard work, the prevailing pressure for working long hours, compounded with the lack of labor welfare protection at the national level and lack of resources at the organizational level in SMEs, the problem of presenteeism in the developing Asian societies may be exacerbated (c.f., Bockerman & Laukkanen, 2010), making it a worthy subject for cross-cultural research and subsequent intervention. Thus one purpose of this article is to situate this problem in a global context, using the Chinese tradition as a cultural exemplar.

Design/methodology/approach

Furthermore, most of the existing studies on presenteeism have overlooked the underlying psychological process of such an act: why do people decide to work while sick? Thus, our second goal in this article is to outline a conceptual framework that attempts to explain central, dynamic processes and mechanisms through which people ascribe meanings to the situation, make decisions to come to work when ill, and attempt to achieve performance outcomes.

Findings

In formulating this scheme, we drew primarily from Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory (SCT) and tried to adapt, elaborate, and extend those aspects of the general theory that seemed most relevant to the basic personal experiences of presenteeism.

Originality/value

We have outlined a social cognitive conceptual framework, to facilitate theory integration in the field of presenteeism research. To systematically examine key mechanisms delineated in the overarching theoretical framework that accounts for the intricate relationships among self-regulation, presenteeism, and performance, we were able to bridge social cognitive psychological processes with organizational research on the global phenomenon of presenteeism. The thrust of using theoretical development to lead empirical investigation in this emerging field may also enable better managerial interventions to promote occupational health and employee development.

Absenteeism and Presenteeism among Care Workers in Swiss Nursing Homes and Their Association with Psychosocial Work Environment: A Multi-Site Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Worker productivity is central to the success of organizations such as healthcare institutions. However, both absenteeism and presenteeism impair that productivity. While various hospital studies have examined the prevalence of presenteeism and absenteeism and its associated factors among care workers, evidence from nursing home settings is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To explore care workers' self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism in relation to nursing homes' psychosocial work environment factors.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study utilizing survey data of 3,176 professional care workers in 162 Swiss nursing homes collected between May 2012 and April 2013. A generalized estimating equation ordinal logistic regression model was used to explore associations between psychosocial work environment factors (leadership, staffing resources, work stressors, affective organizational commitment, collaboration with colleagues and supervisors, support from other personnel, job satisfaction, job autonomy) and self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism.

RESULTS

Absenteeism and presenteeism were observed in 15.6 and 32.9% of care workers, respectively. While absenteeism showed no relationship with the work environment, low presenteeism correlated with high leadership ratings (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.48) and adequate staffing resources (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.38).

CONCLUSION

Self-reported presenteeism is more common than absenteeism in Swiss nursing homes, and leadership and staffing resource adequacy are significantly associated with presenteeism, but not with absenteeism.

Sick and still at school: an empirical study of sickness presence among students in Norwegian secondary school

OBJECTIVES

This paper investigates sickness presence (SP) among students. The research questions asked are: What is the distribution of SP among students in Norwegian secondary school? What characterises students with high SP in Norwegian secondary schools?

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey conducted in 10th grade in lower secondary school (LSS) and level 2 in upper secondary school (USS). The study was conducted using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

The survey was administered to 66 schools, and 2 or 3 classes participated at each school. The response rate was 84% in LSS (n=1880) and 81% in USS (n=1160).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The paper provides information about the distribution of SP in secondary schools. The paper also examines which factors influence high SP.

RESULTS

75% of students in LSS and 80% of students in USS reported SP in the previous school year. 24% of students in LSS and 33% of students in USS reported high SP (4 episodes or more). Students with high absence from school were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.7, ORUSS=2.0) than those with low/no absence. Girls were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.5, ORUSS=1.5) than boys. In LSS, students with high school motivation reported high SP more often than students with low/medium motivation. In USS, students in vocational studies programmes reported high SP more often than students in general/academic studies programmes.

CONCLUSIONS

Some SP during a school year may be more common than no SP. Gender, absence, motivation and education programme were important factors for high SP in secondary school.

LMX as a negative predictor of presenteeism climate

Purpose

– Some underlying mechanisms regarding presenteeism still remain unclear, namely, the construct of “presenteeism climate” and the importance of “leadership” Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) for presenteeism. In order to shed some light into this phenomenon, the purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a new scale of presenteeism climate.

Design/methodology/approach

– In Study 1, the authors identified a pool of items from the literature and, in Study 2 (n=147) the authors tested 26 items that were pilot studied with exploratory factor analysis. In Study 3 (n=293) the authors tested a three-factor model – extra-time valuation, supervision distrust and co-workers competitiveness – with confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

– Results showed that LMX has a negative correlation with presenteeism climate. Study 3 also showed that this structure remained invariant with additional samples from employees working in hospitals from Ecuador (n=90) and China (n=237). Finally, the authors included suggestions for future studies to overcome the limitations of this research.

Practical implications

– This study has implications for managers and academics, as it emphasizes the importance of favorable behaviors between leaders and employees in order to decrease presenteeism and its adverse consequences.

Originality/value

– The main contribution consists of identifying dimensions of presenteeism climate and developing measures. Additionally, the authors contribute to the literature on leadership by studying the influence of LMX on presenteeism climate.

The effect of presenteeism-related health conditions on employee work engagement levels: A comparison between groups

Orientation: Awareness of presenteeism-related health conditions is important as the prevalence of these conditions unknowingly influences performance and productivity in organisations.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine the differences in work engagement levels based on groups of presenteeism-related conditions in employees.Motivation for the study: Awareness of the impact of presenteeism-related conditions on work engagement levels can aid in the crafting of interventions to assist employees who suffer from these conditions, which in turn can boost work engagement levels.Research design, approach and method: Cross-sectional data was collected from an availability sample of employees in the manufacturing sector (N = 3387).Main findings: The results of the multi-group structural equation modelling revealed significant mean differences in work engagement levels between the groups. Practical significance tests revealed significant differences between all the groups. The largest difference was between the group who suffered from no presenteeism-related conditions and the group who suffered from all three conditions included in this study concurrently.Practical/managerial implications: Organisational stakeholders are encouraged to take note of the effects that presenteeism-related health conditions have on work engagement and to consider relevant strategies and interventions to address and alleviate symptoms in order to tend to employee health and obviate the effect on productivity.Contribution: This study found that there were clear practical differences between employees who suffer from the presenteeism-related conditions and those who suffer from none of the conditions. Furthermore, there was also a clear difference when comparing the ‘no condition’ group to a general random sample in which employees might experience some symptoms but not comorbidity.

Optimal cutoff values of WHO-HPQ presenteeism scores by ROC analysis for preventing mental sickness absence in Japanese prospective cohort

Objectives

Sickness absence due to mental disease in the workplace has become a global public health problem. Previous studies report that sickness presenteeism is associated with sickness absence. We aimed to determine optimal cutoff scores for presenteeism in the screening of the future absences due to mental disease.

Methods

A prospective study of 2195 Japanese employees from all areas of Japan was conducted. Presenteeism and depression were measured by the validated Japanese version of the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) and K6 scale, respectively. Absence due to mental disease across a 2-year follow-up was surveyed using medical certificates obtained for work absence. Socioeconomic status was measured via a self-administered questionnaire. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff scores for absolute and relative presenteeism in relation to the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity.

Results

The AUC values for absolute and relative presenteeism were 0.708 (95% CI, 0.618–0.797) and 0.646 (95% CI, 0.546–0.746), respectively. Optimal cutoff scores of absolute and relative presenteeism were 40 and 0.8, respectively. With multivariate adjustment, cohort participants with our proposal cutoff scores for absolute and relative presenteeism were significantly more likely to be absent due to mental disease (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.20–10.73 and OR = 5.37, 95% CI: 2.42–11.93, respectively). The inclusion or exclusion of depressive symptoms (K6≥13) at baseline in the multivariate adjustment did not influence the results.

Conclusions

Our proposed optimal cutoff scores of absolute and relative presenteeism are 40 and 0.8, respectively. Participants who scored worse than the cutoff scores for presenteeism were significantly more likely to be absent in future because of mental disease. Our findings suggest that the utility of presenteeism in the screening of sickness absence due to mental disease would help prevent such an absence.

Psychosocial factors at work and sickness absence: results from the French national SUMER survey

OBJECTIVE

This study aims at exploring the associations between psychosocial work factors and sickness absence.

METHODS

The sample from the French National Survey SUMER 2010 included 46,962 employees. Sickness absence spells and days within the last year were studied as two outcomes. Psychosocial work factors included psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, reward, working time, and workplace violence variables. Covariates were age, occupation, economic activity, and other occupational exposures.

RESULTS

For both genders, low latitude, low reward, shift work, bullying, and verbal abuse were risk factors of absence spells while long working hours were a protective factor. High demands, low support, and physical violence were risk factors for women. Low support and bullying for both genders, high demands for women, and low reward, long working hours, and physical violence for men increased absence duration.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of psychosocial work factors as risk factors of sickness absence.

Psychosocial work factors and long sickness absence in Europe

BACKGROUND

Studies exploring a wide range of psychosocial work factors separately and together in association with long sickness absence are still lacking.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to explore the associations between psychosocial work factors measured following a comprehensive instrument (Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, COPSOQ) and long sickness absence (> 7 days/year) in European employees of 34 countries. An additional objective was to study the differences in these associations according to gender and countries.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 16 120 male and 16 588 female employees from the 2010 European working conditions survey. Twenty-five psychosocial work factors were explored. Statistical analysis was performed using multilevel logistic regression models and interaction testing.

RESULTS

When studied together in the same model, factors related to job demands (quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions), possibilities for development, social relationships (role conflicts, quality of leadership, social support, and sense of community), workplace violence (physical violence, bullying, and discrimination), shift work, and job promotion were associated with long sickness absence. Almost no difference was observed according to gender and country.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive prevention policies oriented to psychosocial work factors may be useful to prevent long sickness absence at European level.

Association among Working Hours, Occupational Stress, and Presenteeism among Wage Workers: Results from the Second Korean Working Conditions Survey

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to identify the association between presenteeism and long working hours, shiftwork, and occupational stress using representative national survey data on Korean workers.

Methods

We analyzed data from the second Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), which was conducted in 2010, in which a total of 6,220 wage workers were analyzed. The study population included the economically active population aged above 15 years, and living in the Republic of Korea. We used the chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression to test the statistical association between presenteeism and working hours, shiftwork, and occupational stress.

Results

Approximately 19% of the workers experienced presenteeism during the previous 12 months. Women had higher rates of presenteeism than men. We found a statistically significant dose–response relationship between working hours and presenteeism. Shift workers had a slightly higher rate of presenteeism than non-shift workers, but the difference was not statistically significant. Occupational stress, such as high job demand, lack of rewards, and inadequate social support, had a significant association with presenteeism.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that long working hours and occupational stress are significantly related to presenteeism.

Positive and negative reasons for sickness presenteeism in Norway and Sweden: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

This article investigates various reasons for sickness presenteeism (SP), that is, going to work despite illness. The research questions asked is: What are the main reported reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden?

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey in Norway and Sweden. Use of binomial logistic regression analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

A random sample of people aged between 20 and 60 years was obtained from complete and updated databases of the Norwegian and Swedish populations. A postal questionnaire was sent to the selected individuals, with response rate 33% (n=2843). 2533 workers responded to questions about SP during the last 12 months.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The article informs about the distribution of reasons for SP in Norway and Sweden, selected by the respondents from a closed list. The article also examines which factors influence the most often reported reasons for SP.

RESULTS

56% of the Norwegian and Swedish respondents experienced SP in the previous year. The most frequently reported reasons for SP include not burden colleagues (43%), enjoy work (37%) and feeling indispensable (35%). A lower proportion of Norwegians state that they cannot afford taking sick leave adjusted OR (aOR 0.16 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.22)), while a higher proportion of Norwegians refer to that they enjoy their work (aOR=1.64 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.09)). Women and young workers more often report that they do not want to burden their colleagues. Managers (aOR=2.19 (95% CI 1.67 to 2.86)), highly educated persons and the self-employed more often report that they are indispensable.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive and negative reasons for SP are reported, and there are significant differences between respondents from the two countries. The response rate is low and results must be interpreted with caution.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.