The association of corporate work environment factors, health risks, and medical conditions with presenteeism among Australian employees.

PURPOSE

To investigate the impact of selected corporate environment factors, health risks, and medical conditions on job performance using a self-reported measure of presenteeism.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey utilizing health risk appraisal (HRA) data merging presenteeism with corporate environment factors, health risks, and medical conditions.

SETTING

Approximately 8000 employees across ten diverse Australian corporations.

SUBJECTS

Employees (N = 1523; participation rate, 19%) who completed an HRA questionnaire.

MEASURES

Self-reported HRA data were used to test associations of defined adverse corporate environment factors with presenteeism. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression modeling assessed the relative associations of corporate environment factors, health risks, and medical conditions with increased odds of any presenteeism.

RESULTS

Increased presenteeism was significantly associated with poor working conditions, ineffective management/leadership, and work/life imbalance (adjusting for age, gender, health risks, and medical conditions). In multivariate logistic regression models, work/life imbalance, poor working conditions, life dissatisfaction, high stress, back pain, allergies, and younger age were significantly associated with presenteeism.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the study has some limitations, including a possible response bias caused by the relatively low participation rate across the corporations, the study does demonstrate significant associations between corporate environment factors, health risks, and medical conditions and self-reported presenteeism. The study provides initial evidence that health management programming may benefit on-the-job productivity outcomes if expanded to include interventions targeting work environments.