The Anatomy of Absenteeism

Simen Markussen (), Knut Røed (), Ole Rogeberg and Simen Gaure ()
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Simen Markussen: Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research
Simen Gaure: Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research

No 4240, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Abstract: Based on comprehensive administrative register data from Norway, we examine the determinants of sickness absence behavior; in terms of employee characteristics workplace characteristics, panel doctor characteristics, and economic conditions. The analysis is based on a novel concept of a worker's steady state sickness absence propensity, computed from a multivariate hazard rate model designed to predict the incidence and the duration of sickness absence for all workers. Key conclusions are i) that most of the cross-sectional variation in absenteeism is caused by genuine employee heterogeneity; ii) that the identity of a person's panel doctor has a significant impact on absence propensity; iii) that sickness absence insurance is frequently certified for reasons other than sickness; and iv) that the recovery rate rises enormously just prior to the exhaustion of sickness insurance benefits.

Keywords: sickness absence; multivariate hazards; MMPH; NPMLE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C14 C41 H55 I18 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-lab
Date: 2009-06
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