New Evidence on the Determinants of Absenteeism Using Linked Employer-Employee Data
Industrial and Labor Relations Review 61, 1, 108-120, 2007
35 Pages Posted: 14 Jun 2005 Last revised: 11 Jan 2023
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New Evidence on the Determinants of Absenteeism Using Linked Employer-Employee Data
New Evidence on the Determinants of Absenteeism Using Linked Employer-Employee Data
Date Written: June 1, 2005
Abstract
In this paper, we provide new evidence on the determinants of absenteeism using the Workplace Employee Survey (WES) 1999-2002 from Statistics Canada. Our paper extends the typical labour-leisure model used to analyze the decision to skip work to include firm-level policy variables relevant to the absenteeism decision and uncertainty about the cost of absenteeism. It also provides a non-linear econometric model that explicitly takes into account the count nature of absenteeism data and unobserved heterogeneity at both the individual and firm level. Controlling for very detailed demographic, job and firm characteristics (including work-place practices), we find that dissatisfaction with contracted hours is a significant determinant of absence.
Keywords: Absenteeism, linked employer-employee data, unobserved heterogeneity, count data models
JEL Classification: C35, D21, J21, J28, J32, J63
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation