Chronic Conditions, Workplace Safety, And Job Demands Contribute To Absenteeism And Job Performance.
An aging workforce, increased prevalence of chronic health conditions, and the potential for longer working lives have both societal and economic implications. We analyzed the combined impact of workplace safety, employee health, and job demands (work task difficulty) on worker absence and job performance. The study sample consisted of 16,926 employees who participated in a worksite wellness program offered by a workers' compensation insurer to their employers-314 large, midsize, and small businesses in Colorado across multiple industries. We found that both workplace safety and employees' chronic health conditions contributed to absenteeism and job performance, but their impact was influenced by the physical and cognitive difficulty of the job. If employers want to reduce health-related productivity losses, they should take an integrated approach to mitigate job-related injuries, promote employee health, and improve the fit between a worker's duties and abilities.
Kimberly Jinnett (kjinnett@ibiweb.org) is executive vice president of the Integrated Benefits Institute, in San Francisco, California, and an affiliate faculty member at the Institute for Health and Aging at the University of California, San Francisco.
Kimberly
K
Jinnett
Natalie Schwatka is an instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health and a researcher at the Center for Health, Work, and Environment, both at the University of Colorado, in Denver.
Natalie
N
Schwatka
Liliana Tenney is an instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health and deputy director of the Center for Health, Work, and Environment, both at the University of Colorado.
Liliana
L
Tenney
Claire v. S. Brockbank is a principal at Segue Consulting, in Denver.
Claire V S
CV
Brockbank
Lee S. Newman is a professor at the Colorado School of Public Health and the School of Medicine and director of the Center for Health, Work, and Environment, all at the University of Colorado.
Lee S
LS
Newman
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000639:trends; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D000066477:Work Performance; D017132:Workplace
Business Of Health; Employer-Based System < Insurance; Health Promotion/Disease Prevention