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Sickness Absence: An International Comparison

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Author Info
Barmby, Tim A. (University of Newcastle upon Tyne and ILR)
Ercolani, Marco G. (ILR, University of Essex, Colchester)
Treble, John G. (University of Wales, Bangor and ILR)

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Abstract

Previous attempts to analyse international differences in patterns of worker absenteeism have not been convincing because of the difficulty in obtaining internationally comparable data. In this paper, we apply the technique described by Barmby, Ercolani and Treble(1999) to data on full-time workers in 9 countries who have deposited Labour Force Survey returns with the Luxembourg Employment Study. We use the resulting dataset to verify relationships between absence and age, gender and other socio-economic characteristics of workers. These relationships prove to be similar across countries with widely differing mean rates of absence. Since our dataset uses individual observations we are also able to carry out a multivariate analysis of absence and its correlates. The most revealing result of the analysis is that the gender difference in absence rates that is apparent in the raw data is shown to be entirely due to differences in the age structures of the male and female workforce and their marital status.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by IRISS at CEPS/INSTEAD in its series IRISS Working Paper Series with number 2000-03.

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Length: 25 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2000
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Publication status: Published in Economic Journal, 2002, vol. 112, pp. F1-F17
Handle: RePEc:irs:iriswp:2000-03

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Barmby, T A & Orme, C D & Treble, John G, 1991. "Worker Absenteeism: An Analysis Using Microdata," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(405), pages 214-29, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Barmby, Tim & Orme, Chris & Treble, John, 1995. "Worker absence histories: a panel data study," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 53-65, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Coles, Melvyn G. & Treble, John G., 1993. "The price of worker reliability," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 149-155. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Johansson, Per & Palme, Mårten, 1998. "Assessing the effect of a compulsory sickness insurance on worker absenteeism," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 287, Stockholm School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Hesselius, Patrik, 2003. "Does Sick Absence Increase the Risk of Unemployment?," Working Paper Series 2003:15, Uppsala University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Anna Sanz de Galdeano, 2007. "An Economic Analysis of Obesity in Europe: Health, Medical Care and Absenteeism Costs," Working Papers 2007-38, FEDEA. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rutten, Martine, 2008. "Medical migration : what can we learn from the UK's perspective ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4593, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  4. Per Engström & Bertil Holmlund, 2005. "Worker Absenteeism in Search Equilibrium," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Wolter Hassink & Pierre Koning, 2005. "Do Financial Bonuses to Employees Reduce their Absenteeism? Outcome of a Lottery," Working Papers 05-27, Utrecht School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Engellandt, Axel & Riphahn, Regina, 2004. "Temporary Contracts and Employee Effort," CEPR Discussion Papers 4178, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Gudrun Biffl, 2004. "Health and Employment Status. The Case of Austria," WIFO Working Papers 219, WIFO. [Downloadable!]
  8. Steve Bradley & Colin Green & Gareth Leeves, 2007. "Employment contracts and effort: why do temporary workers take less absence?," Working Papers 005102, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
  9. Peter Dürsch & Jörg Oechssler & Radovan Vadovic, 2008. "Sick Pay Provision in Experimental Labor Markets," Working Papers 0476, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. De Paola, Maria, 2008. "Absenteeism and Peer Interaction Effects: Evidence from an Italian Public Institute," MPRA Paper 11425, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  11. Lusine Lusinyan & Leo Bonato, 2004. "Work Absence in Europe," IMF Working Papers 04/193, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  12. Steve Bradley & Colin Green & Gareth Leeves, 2004. "Worker absence and shirking: evidence from matched teacher-school data," Working Papers 000271, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Böckerman, Petri & Ilmakunnas, Pekka, 2006. "Interaction of job disamenities, job satisfaction, and sickness absences: Evidence from a representative sample of Finnish workers," MPRA Paper 1800, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  14. René Fahr & Bernd Frick, 2007. "On the Inverse Relationship between Unemployment and Absenteeism: Evidence from Natural Experiments and Worker Heterogeneity," IZA Discussion Papers 3171, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  15. Scoppa, Vincenzo, 2008. "Worker Absenteeism and Incentives: Evidence from Italy," MPRA Paper 16858, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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