Abstract
Background
Attending work while sick (sickness presenteeism) is common in many workplaces and often associated with productivity losses and future health risks. While most research has focused on investigating individual and job-related correlates of presenteeism, less is known about country-level factors. This study examines (1) cross-country variation in presenteeism across Europe and (2) the relationship between national sick pay policies and presenteeism.
Methods
We used data on 19,657 employees in 35 countries from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) combined with country-level information on sick pay regulations. Countries were classified as offering generous sick pay if they compensated from the first day of illness with at least 80% wage replacement for a minimum of two weeks (43% of the countries met this criterion). Presenteeism was measured by the fraction of days worked while ill out of all illness days in the past 12 months (presenteeism propensity). We estimated multi-level models that controlled for country composition (socio-demographics, job characteristics, health) and country features (unemployment, gross domestic product, and population density).
Results
Preliminary results show that country affiliation explained 9.5% of the variation in presenteeism. Generous sick pay was associated with an 8-percentage-point lower presenteeism propensity (average marginal effect: -0.08; SE: 0.04; p < 0.05). This association was stronger among individuals with lower education levels, employees in non-service sectors (industry, construction, public administration), and those reporting fewer health problems. Findings were similar when using alternative measures of sick pay generosity and presenteeism.
Conclusions
National sick pay regulations may influence presenteeism, particularly among groups where financial motives are central. Adequate sick pay could help prevent workers from engaging in presenteeism and mitigate its negative consequences.
Key messages
• Sickness presenteeism varies across European countries.
• Workers are less likely to engage in presenteeism in countries with stronger sick pay policies.