Absenteeism

Absenteeism is the term used to refer to employee absence due to illness or personal reasons/problems. The high costs associated with absenteeism make it one of the key focal points of occupational psychology.

There are several different causes:

• Temporary escape from demanding Work, long-term degeneration, conflicts with colleagues and management staff, and dissatisfaction with working and wage conditions.
• Absenteeism to combat stress and avoid harm to health due to influences in the workplace.
• Employees' own interests, weighing up the costs and benefits of staying away, optimising own interests.

It is difficult to establish how many reports of sickness and absences from work are due to absenteeism and not actual illnesses.

Measures designed to counter absenteeism can include more flexible working time models, better organisation in the workplace, enhanced occupational safety and health protection, post-absence meetings with employees to establish the causes and management training to improve management style and the atmosphere in the workplace.

The opposite of absenteeism is presenteeism.