Impact on Employee Productivity From Presenteeism and Absenteeism: Evidence From a Multinational Firm in Sri Lanka

Association of social isolation and depressive symptoms with workplace productivity loss in a multi-ethnic Asian study

The association of health-related productivity loss (HRPL) with social isolation and depressive symptoms is not well studied. We aimed to examine the association of social isolation and depressive symptoms with productivity loss. Data on employed adults aged 21 years and above were derived from the Population Health Index (PHI) study conducted by the National Healthcare Group (NHG) on community-dwelling adults, residing in the Central and Northern residential areas of Singapore. The severity of depressive symptoms and social isolation were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) respectively. Productivity loss was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI). We used Generalised Linear Models, with family gamma, log link for the analysis. Models were adjusted for socio-demographic variables (including age, gender, ethnicity, employment status, housing type) and self-reported chronic conditions (including the presence of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia). There were 2,605 working (2,143 full-time) adults in this study. The median reported percentage of unadjusted productivity loss was 0.0%, 10.0% and 20.0% for participants with social isolation, depressive symptoms, and both, respectively. In the regression analysis, mean productivity loss scores were 2.81 times (95% Confidence Interval: 2.12, 3.72) higher in participants with depressive symptoms than those without. On the other hand, social isolation was not found to be associated with productivity loss scores (1.17, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.96, 1.42). The interaction term of depressive symptoms with social isolation was statistically significant, with an effect size of 1.89 (95% Confidence Interval: 1.04, 3.44). It appeared that productivity loss was amplified when social isolation and depressive symptoms were concomitant. Our results suggested significant associations of social isolation and depressive symptoms with productivity loss. These findings highlighted the potential impact of social isolation and depressive symptoms on work performance and drew attention to the importance of having a holistic work support system that promotes social connectedness, mental wellbeing and work productivity.

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.

Influenza Vaccination Implementation in Sri Lanka: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Influenza causes an estimated 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness annually, along with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Currently, Sri Lanka has no influenza vaccination policies and does not offer vaccination within the public healthcare sector. Therefore, we performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of influenza vaccine implementation for the Sri Lankan population. We designed a static Markov model that followed a population cohort of Sri Lankans in three age groups, 0-4, 5-64, and 65+ years, through two potential scenarios: trivalent inactivated vaccination (TIV) and no TIV across twelve-monthly cycles using a governmental perspective at the national level. We also performed probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses to identify influential variables and account for uncertainty. The vaccination model arm reduced influenza outcomes by 20,710 cases, 438 hospitalizations, and 20 deaths compared to no vaccination in one year. Universal vaccination became cost-effective at approximately 98.01% of Sri Lanka's 2022 GDP per capita (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio = 874,890.55 Rs/DALY averted; 3624.84 USD/DALY averted). Results were most sensitive to the vaccine coverage in the 5-64-year-old age group, the cost of the influenza vaccine dose in the 5-64-years-old age group, vaccine effectiveness in the under-5-years-old age group, and the vaccine coverage in the under-5-years-old age group. No value for a variable within our estimated ranges resulted in ICERs above Rs. 1,300,000 (USD 5386.15) per DALY adverted. Providing influenza vaccines was considered highly cost-effective compared to no vaccines. However, large-scale national studies with improved data are needed to better inform estimates and determine the impact of vaccination implementation.

Impact of Influenza and Influenza-Like Illness on Work Productivity Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Influenza is a persistent public health problem with a significant burden on patients, employers, and society. A systematic review by Keech and Beardsworth (2008) characterized the burden of influenza/influenza-like illness (ILI) on absenteeism. We conducted a systematic literature review evaluating the impact of influenza/ILI on work productivity among adults as an update to the work of Keech and Beardsworth.

METHODS

This systematic review identified studies evaluating the impact of influenza/ILI on absenteeism, presenteeism, or related work productivity measures for employees and employed caregivers based on laboratory confirmation, physician diagnosis, and/or self-reported illness. Eligible studies were in English, French, or German published from 7 March 2007 through 15 February 2022, in PubMed, Embase, or BIOSIS. Two reviewers completed screening and full-text review, with conflicts resolved by a third advisor. Summary data were extracted by two analysts; all records were quality checked by one analyst. Work productivity outcomes were summarized qualitatively, and risk of bias was not evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 14,387 records were retrieved; 12,245 titles/abstracts were screened and 145 full-text publications were reviewed, of which 63 were included in the qualitative assessment. Studies of self-reported ILI were most frequent (49%), followed by laboratory-confirmed cases (37%) and physician diagnoses (11%). Overall, approximately 20-75% of employees missed work due to illness across study settings and populations. Mean time out of work among ill employees varied widely across study designs and populations, ranging from < 1 to > 10 days, and was often reported to be approximately 2-3 days. Considerable heterogeneity was observed across study designs, populations, and outcomes. Most employees (≈ 60-80%) reported working while experiencing influenza/ILI symptoms. Reporting of costs was sparse and heterogeneous; one study reported annual costs of influenza-related absences equating to $42,851 per 100,000 employee health plan members. Results were partitioned based on the following categories. Among otherwise healthy adults, 1-74% of workers missed ≥1 workday due to influenza/ILI, for a mean [standard deviation (SD)] of 0.5 (1.44) to 5.3 (4.50) days, and 42-89% reported working while ill, for a mean (SD) of 0.3 (0.63) to 4.4 (3.73) days. Among working caregivers, 50-75% missed work to care for children/household members with influenza/ILI, for 1-2 days on average. Similarly, the mean absenteeism among healthcare workers ranged from 0.5 to 3.2 days. Across studies evaluating vaccination status, generally smaller proportions of vaccinated employees missed time from work due to influenza/ILI.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review summarized the productivity burden of influenza/ILI on the worldwide working-age population. Despite notable heterogeneity in study designs, influenza/ILI case definitions, and productivity outcome measures, this review highlighted the substantial productivity burden that influenza/ILI may have on employees, employers, and society, consistent with the findings of Keech and Beardsworth (2008).

Risk factors associated with respiratory infectious disease-related presenteeism: a rapid review

BACKGROUND

Workplace transmission is a significant contributor to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks. Previous studies have found that infectious illness presenteeism could contribute to outbreaks in occupational settings and identified multiple occupational and organisational risk factors. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to investigate presenteeism particularly in relation to respiratory infectious disease (RID). Hence, this rapid review aims to determine the prevalence of RID-related presenteeism, including COVID-19, and examines the reported reasons and associated risk factors.

METHODS

The review followed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search approach and focused on studies published in English and Chinese. Database searches included MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI) and preprint databases MedRxiv and BioRxiv.

RESULTS

The search yielded 54 studies, of which four investigated COVID-19-related presenteeism. Prevalence of work presenteeism ranged from 14.1 to 55% for confirmed RID, and 6.6 to 100% for those working with suspected or subclinical RID. The included studies demonstrated that RID-related presenteeism is associated with occupation, sick pay policy, age, gender, health behaviour and perception, vaccination, peer pressure and organisational factors such as presenteeism culture.

CONCLUSIONS

This review demonstrates that presenteeism or non-adherence to isolation guidance is a real concern and can contribute to workplace transmissions and outbreaks. Policies which would support workers financially and improve productivity, should include a range of effective non-pharmaceutical inventions such as workplace testing, promoting occupational health services, reviewing pay and bonus schemes and clear messaging to encourage workers to stay at home when ill. Future research should focus on the more vulnerable and precarious occupational groups, and their inter-relationships, to develop comprehensive intervention programs to reduce RID-related presenteeism.

The effect of presenteeism among Bangladeshi employees

Purpose

Presenteeism refers to attending work while ill and not being able to work to full capacity. Applying the social cognitive theory (SCT), this paper examines the relationships among presenteeism, job satisfaction (JS), and employee turnover intentions (ETIs), and the mediational influence of JS on the relationship between presenteeism and ETIs.

Design/methodology/approach

A web-based survey, including a pilot test, was administered to collect data targeting a sample of 200 full-time Bangladeshi employees. With a two-step method of the structural equation modelling technique, this paper examines four hypotheses among the variables of presenteeism, JS and ETIs.

Findings

Significant negative relationships were identified between presenteeism and JS, as well as between JS and ETIs. Further investigations showed a significant positive relationship between presenteeism and ETIs. Notably, presenteeism on ETIs was found to be fully mediated by JS.

Practical implications

The study results suggest that presenteeism can be detrimental to both JS and ETIs among Bangladeshi employees; however, a reduction in rates of presenteeism can be achieved if employees' JS is valued and increased. Both the theoretical and managerial implications, including future research opportunities, are discussed.

Originality/value

Following the SCT, this paper extends the knowledge of presenteeism in a non-Western context. It is also a first reported empirical study among Bangladeshi employees demonstrating the influence of presenteeism and its detrimental effects on employees' motivational behaviour. This study makes a unique contribution to the presenteeism literature by examining JS and ETIs from the perspective of SCT.

The Relationships Between Control Measures and Absenteeism in the Context of Internal Control

Background

The study tries to show the effect of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation implemented via plan-do-check-act methodology on accident and sickness absenteeism.

Methods

The data for the study gathered via a questionnaire from a large-sized organization operates in production and maintenance of passenger coaches in February–March 2019 in Turkey. The data analyzed via structural equation model analysis.

Results

The results showed that there are statistically meaningful relationships between OHS protective measures, training and informing of employees, and employee participation and accident and sickness absenteeism. In addition, a meaningful relationship between internal control and accident and sickness absenteeism was determined. Statistically meaningful relationships between emergency measures, and health surveillance and internal control, and accident and sickness absenteeism could not be determined.

Conclusion

It is concluded that the actions implemented by organizations to reduce absenteeism should be as per OHS legislation.

What influenza vaccination programmes are preferred by healthcare personnel? A discrete choice experiment

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the relative importance of factors relating to vaccine characteristics, social normative influence and convenience in access to vaccine for determining decision making for seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) among healthcare personnel (HCP), aiming to optimize existing influenza vaccination programmes for HCP.

METHODS

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in HCP working in public hospitals in Hong Kong. The DCE was designed to examine the relative importance of vaccine characteristics (vaccine efficacy and safety), social normative influence reflected by the proportion of HCP colleagues intending to take SIV, and convenience in access to vaccine indicated by vaccination programme duration, vaccination location, vaccination arrangement procedure and service hours in determining influenza vaccination choice among HCP. Mixed logit regression modelling was conducted to examine the preference weight (β) of factors included in the DCE for determining vaccination choice.

RESULTS

Vaccination probability increased with increase in vaccine efficacy (β = 0.02 for per 1% increase), vaccination location changing from "designated staff clinic" to "mobile station" (β = 0.37), vaccination arrangement procedure changing from "by appointment" to "by walk-in" (β = 0.99), but decreased with the increase in probability of mild reactions to vaccination (β = -0.05 for per 1% increase).

CONCLUSION

Vaccine safety was judged to be more important than vaccine efficacy for determining vaccination choice. Arranging vaccination service by walk-in and implementing mobile vaccination station should be considered in future SIV programmes to compensate for the effect of perceived low vaccination efficacy and concerns about vaccine safety to promote SIV uptake among HCP.

Absenteeism and Presenteeism Associated With Common Health Conditions in Brazilian Workers

BACKGROUND

This study describes the effects of common health conditions associated with absenteeism and presenteeism in a population-based sample of workers in Brazil.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey on 1737 employed residents aged more than 18 years old conducted from 2005 to 2007.

RESULTS

Physical diseases and mental disorders are highly prevalent among Brazilian workers. The prevalence of absenteeism was 12.8%, and the prevalence of presenteeism was 14.3%. The condition most commonly associated with work impairment was mood disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving access to care and increasing detection and management of mental disorders should be a priority in Brazil. Occupational health programs and services can play a key role in increasing the productivity of the Brazilian workforce.