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Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer-Employee Data

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  • Daniel Arnold
  • Tobias Brändle
  • Laszlo Goerke

Abstract

Using both household and linked employer-employee data for Germany, we assess the effects of non-union representation in the form of works councils on (1) individual sickness absence rates and (2) a subjective measure of personnel problems due to sickness absence as perceived by a firm's management. We find that the existence of a works council is positively correlated with the incidence and the annual duration of absence. We observe a more pronounced correlation in western Germany which can also be interpreted causally. Further, personnel problems due to absence are more likely to occur in plants with a works council.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Arnold & Tobias Brändle & Laszlo Goerke, 2014. "Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer-Employee Data," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 691, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp691
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    Cited by:

    1. Makarski, Krzysztof & Tyrowicz, Joanna, 2019. "On welfare effects of increasing retirement age," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 718-746.
    2. Stephanie Prümer & Claus Schnabel, 2019. "Questioning the Stereotype of the “Malingering Bureaucrat”: Absence from Work in the Public and Private Sector in Germany," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(4), pages 570-603, November.
    3. Goerke, Laszlo & Pannenberg, Markus, 2021. "Wage Determination in the Shadow of the Law: The Case of Works Councilors in Germany," GLO Discussion Paper Series 789, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Mathias Kloss & Thomas Kirschstein & Steffen Liebscher & Martin Petrick, 2019. "Robust Productivity Analysis: An application to German FADN data," Papers 1902.00678, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2019.
    5. de Pinto Marco & Goerke Laszlo, 2019. "Efficiency Wages in Cournot-Oligopoly," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2020. "Management Practices, Worker Commitment, and Workplace Representation," IZA Discussion Papers 13285, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Grund, Christian & Rubin, Maike, 2020. "The Role of Employees' Age for the Relation between Job Autonomy and Sickness Absence," IZA Discussion Papers 13945, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Absenteeism; LIAB; personnel problems; sickness absence; SOEP; works councils;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management

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