An effort to assess the relation between productivity loss costs and presenteeism at work.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses potential presenteeism costs and the association of these with a company's business figures.


METHODS
We conducted the questionnaire surveys in alternate years between 2003 and 2007 and linked them to sickness absence register data. Perceived work ability levels were assessed and converted into presenteeism days using the Presenteeism Scale tool. Sickness absence and presenteeism days were converted into monetary figures using median monthly salary information.


RESULTS
The share of presenteeism costs was constant at about 1% of annual turnover and about 3.7% of personnel costs. The lowest annual presenteeism cost per employee was EUR 986 and the highest was EUR 1302. The lowest number of presenteeism days per employee in a year was 8.7 days and the highest number was 10.4 days. Estimated losses to a company due to sickness absences and presenteeism ranged from EUR 4.6 million to EUR 5.6 million annually. The potential presenteeism costs to the company and to Finnish society were vast.


CONCLUSIONS
Presenteeism is a costly problem but more research is needed to reveal the connections between presenteeism and a company's turnover, personnel costs and profit.
a Tampere University of Applied Sciences , Finland.
Kimmo
K
Vänni
b University of Tampere , Finland.
Subas
S
Neupane
b University of Tampere , Finland.
Clas-Håkan
CH
Nygård
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000069597:Presenteeism / Q000191:economics*
assessment methods; business profit; costs; presenteeism; productivity loss; work ability