Sickness absenteeism is affected by the health of the workforce, occupation-specific factors, workplace policies, cultural norms, and personal attitudes. Physical characteristics, medical standards, individual worker characteristics, job satisfaction, and management also impact absenteeism rates. Employers can promote healthy living practices to reduce absenteeism rates.
Sick absenteeism occurs when employees miss work for reasons stemming from health problems. The rate of sickness absenteeism is related to the general health of the workforce and also to specific factors in each individual occupation. National workplace policies and standards also affect the rate of sickness absenteeism as do cultural norms and personal attitudes among workers.
The overall health of any given workforce population plays a crucial role in determining how quickly employees get sick and demand time off. The physical characteristics of a workforce contribute directly to this rate. A workforce that is overweight, sedentary, and prone to smoking and drinking, all else being equal, has a higher absenteeism rate simply because these characteristics lead to a lower overall level of well-being. Some employers knowingly take steps to promote healthy living practices among workers in order to reduce this rate, a practice which has the added benefit of lowering insurance rates across the employee pool.
Medical standards affect how quickly employees take time off work due to illness. In many countries, medical professionals are largely responsible for determining which illnesses are serious enough to warrant absence from work. These standards evolve over time. For example, the rate of sickness absenteeism was higher in the United States in the years following World War II than it had been in the decade before the war, largely because standards and practices had changed within the medical community.
The characteristics of individual workers have a pronounced impact on sickness absenteeism rates. Employees who have a more negative view of their health, regardless of objective criteria, may get sick more often. Older workers are likely to be ill longer, a fact which may result from the need for a longer recovery period. Workers performing more physically or emotionally demanding jobs may have higher rates of absenteeism due to the specific physical and mental demands of those jobs and the resulting injuries and stress.
Absenteeism and job satisfaction are also closely linked. Employees who are happy in their jobs and feel they have enough time and resources to do it well are less likely to call in sick. Workers who are dissatisfied or overworked are more likely to take sick leave. This can result from psychological factors, but can also be related to the physiological impact of stress.
Tight management of sickness absenteeism tends to reduce rates. Employees respond to closer supervision by reducing the number of times they call in sick for no reason. Careful attention to the health of a workforce is also helpful in reducing the overall rate of sickness among workers.
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