Employees' work responses to episodes of illness: evidence from the American time use survey.

OBJECTIVE

To better understand presenteeism and absenteeism on the basis of the choices employees make about working when they experience episodes of illness.

METHODS

We examine nationally representative data to describe employees' work responses to episodes of illness and how different leave policies contribute to their decisions.

RESULTS

Illness episodes typically result in absence from work rather than working a normal or adjusted routine. Employees adjust their routine when ill primarily to save leave or because they have too much work. Paid sick leave and scheduling flexibility influence the likelihood of absence in different ways.

CONCLUSIONS

Although flexibility to adjust work routines can reduce absences, it is not known to what extent productivity suffers when this occurs. Measures of both short- and long-term presenteeism are necessary to understand the full productivity costs of illness in the workforce.