A study of employee absenteeism at the health care corporation of St. John's

Ramos, Amelita (2017) A study of employee absenteeism at the health care corporation of St. John's. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Absenteeism is a growing problem in the health care workforce. This thesis seeks to understand some of the factors which may influence hospital employee absenteeism in the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s. The study examined how workload, workgroup behavior and previous workgroup absence patterns influence individual absence-taking behaviours. A random effects model was used to test which factors influence absenteeism in seven health care bargaining groups. This study found that workload was associated with an increase in absence among hospital support workers and laboratory technicians, but not nurses. Our study also found a pattern in absence-taking behaviours among hospital employees. Employees who were absent within the last 5 and 30 work shifts have a greater likelihood of being absent. This study also found that the peer work group influenced absenteeism. The higher the departmental absence or overtime rate the previous day, the more likely an individual will be absent. This study contributes to the understanding of absenteeism in the health care workforce. It provides valuable insights into factors that contribute to employee absenteeism and can be used to develop effective strategies to reduce absence.

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