Absentismus und Präsentismus im öffentlichen Sektor: Zusammenhang und Beweggründe der Beschäftigten

Absenteeism as well as presenteeism have been relevant, empirical phenomena in public sector organizations ever since. Thereby, both are related with costs and losses in productivity on an individual and organizational level. While there is a broad agreement that both behaviors are associated, there are contradictory findings in terms of the nature of their relationship and there is hardly any empirical evidence of possible reasons that influence the decision between absenteeism and presenteeism. This paper contributes to the closing of this research gap by analyzing quantitative data from a standardized, written online survey of public sector employees. Results show a significant positive relationship between absenteeism and presenteeism, adding empirical evidence to existing knowledge on a reinforcing relationship in contrast to a substituting effect. Moreover, a lack of replaceability (e.g., due to insufficient deputizing) and a high work ethic are related to reduced absenteeism and increased presenteeism. On the contrary, the fear of negative, personal consequences is associated with high absenteeism and high presenteeism. A perceived presenteeism culture correlates with higher presenteeism. Based on these results, implications for public sector management and research are derived.