Common Determinants of Absence from Work in Employees and Workers: A Retrospective Analysis of Personal and Economical Aspects.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this longitudinal retrospective study was to identify possible determinants of absence from work in a productive company in Tyrol/Austria. METHODS Data of 974 workers and employees were analyzed. Times of absence were analyzed descriptively and the impact of their possible determinants was evaluated by means of hierarchical linear models. RESULTS The extent of absence was constant during the observed period, i.e. former measures of health promotion were not effective. The number of sick days was, among others, significantly associated with working status (worker/employee, p < 0.001) and the company's department (commercial division, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A number of determinants for increased operational absence were identified. These may be considered specifically when adapting workplace health management. Since the observed times of absence mostly not normally distributed, future reports shall use nonparametric methods.