Determinants of presenteeism prevalence and propensity: Two sides of the same coin?

Research on the determinants of sickness presence can be based on employees' number of sickness presence days or employees' propensity to "opt" for presenteeism in case of sickness. This study compares associations between potential determinants and presenteeism in cross-sectional data from a sample of Austrian employees by considering days of sickness absence and presence and an estimator for sickness-presence propensity as outcome variables. The sets of significant determinants for the number of sickness presence days and propensity were found to be overlapping, but not equivalent. Whereas determinants of the number of days can help to identify groups with high presenteeism prevalence, determinants of propensity can help to identify factors that restrict the decision process in case of sickness. With respect to possible interventions aimed at reducing presenteeism, results relating to both perspectives should be considered.