The anatomy of absenteeism

Simen Markussen, Knut Røed (), Ole Rogeberg and Simen Gaure

Journal of Health Economics, 2011, vol. 30, issue 2, 277-292

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 duration of sickness absence for all workers. Key conclusions are that (i) most of the cross-sectional variation in absenteeism is caused by genuine employee heterogeneity; (ii) the identity of a person's panel doctor has a significant impact on absence propensity; (iii) sickness absence insurance is frequently certified for reasons other than sickness; and (iv) 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)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (72)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Anatomy of Absenteeism (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:30:y:2011:i:2:p:277-292

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