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Sickness Presenteeism, Sickness Absenteeism, and Health Following Restructuring in a Public Service Organization

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  • Natasha Caverley
  • J. Barton Cunningham
  • James N. MacGregor

Abstract

abstract This study examined the relationship between sickness presenteeism, sickness absenteeism, organizational outcomes and employee health. In particular, we wanted to investigate to what degree employees were substituting sickness presence for sickness absence. Three hypotheses were tested to formalize this ‘substitution proposition’. We surveyed a Canadian public service organization which was involved in a large scale downsizing initiative. For this study, 237 Personnel Corporation (pseudonym used) employees responded to the survey, representing a 66 per cent response rate. Survey results indicated that, while the workforce was of average health, sickness absenteeism was less than half that of the national average. The difference could be accounted for by sickness presenteeism – the average number of days employees attended work while ill or injured was greater than the number of days of sickness absence. The pattern of results supported the notion that employees were substituting presenteeism for absenteeism. The frequency and type of self‐reported health problems were highly similar for presenteeism and absenteeism. Work factors (e.g. job security, supervisor support and job satisfaction) tested were significantly correlated with presenteeism. Presenteeism appears to be a stronger predictor of health than absenteeism, suggesting that efforts to improve workplace health may have a more immediate impact on presenteeism than on absenteeism.

Suggested Citation

  • Natasha Caverley & J. Barton Cunningham & James N. MacGregor, 2007. "Sickness Presenteeism, Sickness Absenteeism, and Health Following Restructuring in a Public Service Organization," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 304-319, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:44:y:2007:i:2:p:304-319
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00690.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Barnes, Maria Carla & Buck, Rhiannon & Williams, Gareth & Webb, Katie & Aylward, Mansel, 2008. "Beliefs about common health problems and work: A qualitative study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 657-665, August.
    2. Marina Taloyan & Gunnar Aronsson & Constanze Leineweber & Linda Magnusson Hanson & Kristina Alexanderson & Hugo Westerlund, 2012. "Sickness Presenteeism Predicts Suboptimal Self-Rated Health and Sickness Absence: A Nationally Representative Study of the Swedish Working Population," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-8, September.
    3. Bubonya, Melisa & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Wooden, Mark, 2017. "Mental health and productivity at work: Does what you do matter?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 150-165.
    4. Beatrice Brunner & Ivana Igic & Anita C. Keller & Simon Wieser, 2019. "Who gains the most from improving working conditions? Health-related absenteeism and presenteeism due to stress at work," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(8), pages 1165-1180, November.
    5. Marsden, David & Moriconi, Simone, 2009. "The value of rude health: employees' well being, absence and workplace performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 51587, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Karanika-Murray, Maria & Pontes, Halley M. & Griffiths, Mark D. & Biron, Caroline, 2015. "Sickness presenteeism determines job satisfaction via affective-motivational states," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 100-106.
    7. Marvin Reuter & Morten Wahrendorf & Cristina Di Tecco & Tahira M. Probst & Sascha Ruhle & Valerio Ghezzi & Claudio Barbaranelli & Sergio Iavicoli & Nico Dragano, 2019. "Do Temporary Workers More Often Decide to Work While Sick? Evidence for the Link between Employment Contract and Presenteeism in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Katarzyna Miszczynska & Elzbieta Antczak, 2023. "The Determinants of Presenteeism in Selected European Countries- Modelling from Geographical and Gender Perspectives," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 255-280.
    9. Rune Bjerke, 2020. "Towards a HR Framework for Developing a Health-Promoting Performance Culture at Work: A Norwegian Health Care Management Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-20, December.
    10. Hansen, Claus D. & Andersen, Johan H., 2008. "Going ill to work - What personal circumstances, attitudes and work-related factors are associated with sickness presenteeism?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 956-964, September.
    11. Anthony Lepinteur, 2021. "The asymmetric experience of gains and losses in job security on health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2217-2229, September.
    12. Daniel Arnold, 2016. "Determinants of the Annual Duration of Sickness Presenteeism: Empirical Evidence from European Data," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 30(2), pages 198-212, June.
    13. Dean A. Shepherd & Melissa S. Cardon, 2009. "Negative Emotional Reactions to Project Failure and the Self‐Compassion to Learn from the Experience," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 923-949, September.
    14. Fiona Cocker & Angela Martin & Jenn Scott & Alison Venn & Kristy Sanderson, 2013. "Psychological Distress, Related Work Attendance, and Productivity Loss in Small-to-Medium Enterprise Owner/Managers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-21, October.
    15. Fatéma Safy-Godineau & Amar Fall & David Carassus, 2020. "Soutien organisationnel perçu, implication organisationnelle et satisfaction au travail : effets sur l'absentéisme dans la fonction publique," Post-Print hal-02476268, HAL.
    16. Richard, Sébastien & Skagen, Kristian & Pedersen, Kjeld Møller & Huver, Benjamin, 2017. "Assessing the Propensity for Presenteeism with Sickness Absence Data," DaCHE discussion papers 2017:1, University of Southern Denmark, Dache - Danish Centre for Health Economics.
    17. Urtasun, Ainhoa & Nuñez, Imanol, 2018. "Healthy working days: The (positive) effect of work effort on occupational health from a human capital approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 79-88.
    18. Jorge Sinval & João Marôco, 2020. "Short Index of Job Satisfaction: Validity evidence from Portugal and Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, April.
    19. Mark L. Bryan & Andrew M. Bryce & Jennifer Roberts, 2022. "Dysfunctional presenteeism: Effects of physical and mental health on work performance," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 90(4), pages 409-438, July.

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