[Workplace bullying and sickness absenteeism].

AIM

To assess the relationship between workplace bullying and sickness absenteeism in a large sample of Italian workers.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study conducted by means of questionnaires.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

In all, 8,992 subjects filled in a questionnaire to detect workplace bullying, the presence of work stress factors and days of sickness absence in the last year.

EXPOSURES

Workplace bullying and psychosocial stressor were measured by the means of the CDL 2.0 questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Days of sickness absence reported by the subjects.

RESULTS

On average, days of sickness absence were 7.4, and 7.2% of the respondents were defined as bullied. Results from logistic regression analyses showed that a workplace bullying was associated with more days of sickness absence after controlling for gender, age, professional qualification, company sector and juridical nature and other psychosocial factors (men: OR =1.62; women: OR =2.15).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirms that workers exposed to a workplace bullying reported higher sickness absenteeism as compared with non-exposed subjects, also when a potentially highly stressful work environment is considered. The results of the present study support that workplace bullying may be viewed as an extreme stressful condition. Interventions to avoid workplace bullying not only favoure workers' health, but also avoid the company costs associated with workers' sickness absenteeism.