Abstract
Work stress-related productivity losses represent a substantial economic burden. In this study, we estimate the effects of social and task-related stressors and resources at work on health-related productivity losses caused by absenteeism and presenteeism. We also explore the interaction effects between job stressors, job resources and personal resources and estimate the costs of work stress. Work stress is defined as exposure to an unfavorable combination of high job stressors and low job resources. The study is based on a repeated survey assessing work productivity and workplace characteristics among Swiss employees. We use a representative cross-sectional data set and a longitudinal data set and apply both OLS and fixed effects models. We find that an increase in task-related and social job stressors increases health-related productivity losses, whereas an increase in social job resources and personal resources (measured by occupational self-efficacy) reduces these losses. Moreover, we find that job stressors have a stronger effect on health-related productivity losses for employees lacking personal and job resources, and that employees with high levels of job stressors and low personal resources will profit the most from an increase in job resources. Productivity losses due to absenteeism and presenteeism attributable to work stress are estimated at 195 Swiss francs per person and month. Our study has implications for interventions aiming to reduce health absenteeism and presenteeism.
Highlights
A loss of work productivity can be a result of health impairments and arise from absenteeism and presenteeism [1]
We estimated the impact of job stressors and job resources on productivity losses due to sickness absenteeism and presenteeism based on a representative survey of Swiss employees conducted in 2014 and 2015
Job stress is positive if the net effect of job stressors and job resources on productivity losses is positive
Summary
A loss of work productivity can be a result of health impairments and arise from absenteeism (being away from work due to illness or disability) and presenteeism (being present at work but constrained in certain aspects of job performance by health problems) [1]. According to the models developed in occupational health psychology, such as the JobDemands Control model (JDC) [5, 6] and the Job-Demands Resources model (JDR) [7], unfavorable job conditions are associated with high levels of job stressors and a lack of job resources. Exposure to such job conditions can lead to stress among employees, resulting in decreased performance and motivation and, over time, in serious health problems [8]. High time demands and physical demands at work have been shown to be associated with presenteeism and absenteeism [14, 15]
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