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Interaction of working conditions, job satisfaction, and sickness absences: Evidence from a representative sample of employees

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  • Böckerman, Petri
  • Ilmakunnas, Pekka

Abstract

We study the predictors of sickness absences among 2800 Finnish workers responding to the cross-sectional Quality of Work Life Survey in 1997. The data contain detailed information on the prevalence of adverse working conditions at the workplace from a representative sample of wage and salary earners. We show by using recursive multivariate models that the prevalence of harms at the workplace is associated with job dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction with sickness absences. The policy lesson is that the improvement of working conditions should be an integral part of any scheme aimed at decreasing sickness absence.

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  • Böckerman, Petri & Ilmakunnas, Pekka, 2008. "Interaction of working conditions, job satisfaction, and sickness absences: Evidence from a representative sample of employees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 520-528, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:67:y:2008:i:4:p:520-528
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    Cited by:

    1. Petri Böckerman & Mika Maliranta, 2013. "Outsourcing, Occupational Restructuring, and Employee Well-Being: Is There a Silver Lining?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(4), pages 878-914, October.
    2. John S. Heywood & Laurie A. Miller, 2015. "Schedule Flexibility, Family Friendly Policies and Absence," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(6), pages 652-675, December.
    3. Laszlo Goerke, 2017. "Sick pay reforms and health status in a unionised labour market," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(2), pages 115-142, May.
    4. Böckerman, Petri & Laukkanen, Erkki, 2008. "What makes you work while you are sick? Evidence from a survey of union members," MPRA Paper 10556, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Drakopoulos, Stavros A. & Grimani, Aikaterini, 2011. "The relationship between absence from work and job satisfaction: Greece and UK comparisons," MPRA Paper 30990, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Goerke, Laszlo & Pannenberg, Markus, 2015. "Trade union membership and sickness absence: Evidence from a sick pay reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 13-25.
    7. Laszlo Goerke, 2016. "Sick Pay Reforms and Health Status in a Unionised Labour Market," IAAEG Discussion Papers until 2011 201604, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    8. María José Suárez & Cristina Muñiz, 2018. "Unobserved heterogeneity in work absence," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(8), pages 1137-1148, November.
    9. Bokenblom, Mattias & Ekblad, Kristin, 2010. "Working Conditions, Absence and Gender - a Multilevel Study," Working Papers 2010:10, Örebro University, School of Business.
    10. Drakopoulos, Stavros A., 2023. "The Economics of Wellbeing and Psychology: An Historical and Methodological Viewpoint," MPRA Paper 117891, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Nadine Häusler & Oliver Hämmig & Matthias Bopp, 2018. "Which Life Domains Impact Most on Self-Rated Health? A Cross-Cultural Study of Switzerland and its Neighbors," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 787-802, September.
    12. Böckerman, Petri & Bryson, Alex & Ilmakunnas, Pekka, 2012. "Does high involvement management improve worker wellbeing?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 84(2), pages 660-680.
    13. Konstantinos, Pouliakas & Ioannis, Theodossiou, 2010. "An Inquiry Into the Theory, Causes and Consequences of Monitoring Indicators of Health and Safety At Work," MPRA Paper 20336, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Anastasia Semykina & Susan J. Linz, 2013. "Job Satisfaction and Perceived Gender Equality in Advanced Promotion Opportunities: An Empirical Investigation," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(4), pages 591-619, November.
    15. Stavros A. Drakopoulos, 2020. "Pay Level Comparisons in Job Satisfaction Research and Mainstream Economic Methodology," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 825-842, March.
    16. Petri Böckerman & Edvard Johansson & Antti Kauhanen, 2012. "Innovative work practices and sickness absence: what does a nationally representative employee survey tell?," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(3), pages 587-613, June.
    17. Anna S. Gogoleva & Pavel S. Sorokin & Azer G. Efendiev, 2014. "Quality Of Work Life As Methodological Framework In Organizational Studies: State Of The Art And Perspectives For The Future Research," HSE Working papers WP BRP 23/MAN/2014, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    18. Nathalie Havet & Morgane Plantier, 2023. "The links between difficult working conditions and sickness absences in the case of French workers," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 37(1), pages 160-195, March.
    19. Petri, Böckerman & Pekka, Ilmakunnas, 2020. "Työhyvinvointi kannattaa. Työolot, työtyytyväisyys ja tuottavuus [Working conditions, job satisfaction and productivity]," MPRA Paper 103484, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. 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.
    21. Daniel S. J. Lechmann & Claus Schnabel, 2014. "Absence from Work of the Self-Employed: A Comparison with Paid Employees," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 368-390, August.
    22. Petri Bockerman & Erkki Laukkanen, 2009. "Presenteeism in Finland: Determinants By Gender and The Sector of Economy," Ege Academic Review, Ege University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, vol. 9(3), pages 1007-1016.
    23. Stogner, John & Gibson, Chris L., 2010. "Healthy, wealthy, and wise: Incorporating health issues as a source of strain in Agnew's general strain theory," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 1150-1159, November.
    24. Mark L. Bryan & Andrew M. Bryce & Jennifer Roberts, 2021. "The effect of mental and physical health problems on sickness absence," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(9), pages 1519-1533, December.
    25. Anne May Melsom, 2015. "The Gender of Managers and Sickness Absence," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(1), pages 21582440155, March.

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