[Sick leave among employees of the São Paulo State Health Department, Brazil, 2004].

Workers' illness and the resulting absenteeism is a relevant issue for the public sector, due to the high sick leave rates. The current study focused on the characteristics of sick leaves among employees of the São Paulo State Health Department in Brazil. Data from 2004 were collected for 58,196 public employees of the State Health Department, including the respective episodes of sick leave. The overall absenteeism rate due to illness was 2.8%, with differences between the Department's various divisions and job descriptions. The highest absenteeism rates were among hospital workers in operational (3.4%) and patient care jobs (3.3%). Total number of sick leave days per worker was associated with job, age bracket, and gender. The findings highlight the need to establish policies to influence work organization with innovative interventions in the various work areas.