Spillovers from gatekeeping – Peer effects in absenteeism

Anna Godøy and Harald Dale-Olsen

Journal of Public Economics, 2018, vol. 167, issue C, 190-204

Abstract: We study peer effects in absenteeism among workplace colleagues. Gatekeeping is an essential task in many insurance systems. In this study we exploit exogenous shifts of general practitioners (GPs) occurring when physicians quit or retire. We find that these shifts induce changes in absenteeism for affected workers. By utilizing high-quality Norwegian matched employer-employee data with detailed individual information on certified sick leave during the period 2003–2012, we can study how the transfer of workers between GPs affects co-workers' absenteeism. We identify strong causal positive peer effects in absenteeism: a one day change in focal worker sickness absence transfers to a 0.41 day shift in peer absence.

Keywords: Sickness absence; Social interaction; General practitioners; Co-workers; Panel data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H55 I13 J22 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:167:y:2018:i:c:p:190-204

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.08.015

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