Absence Episodes Research Articles

Do return-to-work trajectories differ by mental disorder diagnosis? A register study among 37 523 Dutch workers.

Return to work (RTW) of workers with mental disorders is often a process of gradually increasing work hours over time, resulting in a RTW trajectory. This study aimed to investigate 2-year RTW trajectories by mental disorder diagnosis, examining the distribution of age, sex and contracted work hours across the diagnosis-specific RTW trajectories. Sickness absence episodes diagnosed within the ICD-10 chapter V (mental and behavioral disorders) and ICD-10 Z73.0 (burnout) were retrieved from a Dutch occupational health service register, together with age, sex and contracted work hours. Sickness absence episodes due to adjustment disorders (N=25 075), anxiety disorders (N=1335), burnout (N=3644), mood disorders (N=5076), and post-traumatic stress disorders (N=2393) were most prevalent and included in latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to estimate 23-month RTW trajectories. Four main RTW trajectories were identified for all mental disorder diagnoses: fast full RTW [range 82.4% (mood disorders) to 92.0% (adjustment disorders) of the study population], slow full RTW [3.5% (burnout) to 6.1% (mood disorders)], slow partial RTW [0.6% (adjustment disorders) to 1.6% (mood disorders)] and no RTW [2.2% (adjustment disorders) to 9.7% (mood disorders)]. Trajectories with a late onset of fast full RTW included higher percentages of women and lower percentages of full-time workers. RTW trajectories were similar for different mental disorder diagnoses although the distribution differed across diagnoses, with more partial and no RTW trajectories among workers with mood disorders. To better guide workers back to work, more knowledge is needed of factors associated with late, partial, or no RTW.

Left-Parietal Angiocentric Glioma: Our Experience and a Review of the Literature

Background: Angiocentric glioma (AG) is a rare, benign, and slow-growing tumor. First described in 2005, it is now gaining attention with respect to the possibility of being diagnosed. Even with no statistical differences between sex, it has been reported both in children and the elderly. A total of 120 cases have been described in the literature. The aim of this study is to provide new data for a new statistical assessment of the prevalence and incidence of AG in populations. Case report: An 8-year-old male patient with no history of epilepsy and no need for antiepileptic therapy underwent surgery for a left-parietal brain lesion, revealed through MRI. Imaging was acquired after his first absence episode. The lesion was completely resected. Histological findings indicated angiocentric glioma. No signs of recurrency after two years of follow-up. Conclusion: AG is usually an epilepsy-related low-grade glioma. Few cases exhibit disease progression and exitus. Surgical management should aim for a gross total resection to avoid recurrence and persisting epilepsy. Surgery represents the gold standard in diagnosis and treatment and must be performed as soon as possible in consideration of its healing properties and its useful diagnosis.

Productivity losses from short-term work absence due to neoplasms in Poland

Previous evidence on productivity losses from neoplasms focuses mostly on the economic burden from mortality, covers single cancer diagnoses and neglects non-malignant neoplasms. This study aims to broaden this perspective by analysing losses resulting from work absence and all neoplasm diagnoses. The analysis applies the human capital method and social insurance data to estimate productivity losses attributable to neoplasm-related short-term work absence in Poland in the period 2012–2022. The productivity losses due to work absence attributable to all neoplasms in Poland were €583 million in 2012 (0.143% of gross domestic product) and they increased to €969 million in 2022 (0.164%). Around 60% of the losses were associated with cancers while the remaining part of the burden was due to non-malignant neoplasms. The neoplasms that led to the highest losses were benign neoplasms, breast cancer, colorectum cancer and prostate cancer. The cancer sites characterised by the greatest losses per absence episode were brain cancer, lung cancer and oesophageal cancer. For most of the neoplasms, we observed increasing losses in an 11-year period analysed. Investing in effective public health policies that tackle neoplasms has the potential to reduce both the health burden and economic losses resulting from these diseases.

Absenteeism of Healthcare Personnel in the COVID-19 Era: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Implications for the Post-Pandemic Seasons.

This systematic review aimed to assess COVID-19-associated absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP). PubMed was searched on 4 February 2023. Inclusion criteria were the presentation of original data on COVID-19-associated absenteeism among HCP. Exclusion criteria were absenteeism associated with burnout, mental health illness, post-COVID syndrome, or child-care. Nineteen articles were identified; fifteen concerned almost exclusively the first pandemic year. Hospitals accounted for most data. There was heterogeneity across studies in terms of presentation of absenteeism data. Before COVID-19 vaccines became available, COVID-19 was a major driver of HCP absenteeism with excess costs, while the mean duration of absenteeism ranged from 5.82 to 33 days per episode of absence. Determinant factors of absenteeism rates were department of employment, high-risk exposure, age, profession, and work experience of HCP, suspected COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 testing, SARS-CoV-2 positivity, and return-to-work strategy. Two studies demonstrated that COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced the burden of absenteeism. Routine testing of asymptomatic HCP and use of personal protective equipment also significantly ameliorated absenteeism. In conclusion, COVID-19 has been a major driver of HCP absenteeism. Research is needed to assess how COVID-19 will impact HCP in the next years, considering the new SARS-CoV-2 variants, the co-circulation of other respiratory viruses, and the newer COVID-19 vaccines. Networks are needed to survey morbidity and absenteeism among HCP in real-time and guide vaccination policies.

Time from sickness absence due to cancer until return to work by locations and sex, Catalonia, Spain

Abstract Background Number of people diagnosed with cancer in the workplace are expected to increase steadily. Sickness absence is a tool of social protection system through which workers with a health problem can get absence from work, while receive economic and medical support until they are able to return to their workplace. Methods Cohort study of 426 affiliates to Social Security (57.5% women), residents in Catalonia who suffered an sickness absence due to a cancer between 2012-2015. Individuals were followed up from the beginning of the sickness absence episode until return to work. Kaplan Meier survival estimates were applied, stratified by sex, to compare time until return to work distinguishing between different cancer locations. Results Median age among workers who returned to work after an sickness absence was 49.3 years (sd 9.2). Among men, most frequent locations were male genital organs (28.7%), digestive (23.2%) and urinary organs (22.7%), and among women, breast and female genital organs (61.2%) and skin neoplasm (21.6%). Maximum time until return to work was 11.2 months. The median time until return to work was 1 month in both sexes. In men, we found the longest median time in male genital organs with 38 days and the lowest in skin cancer with 10 days. In women, we found the longest median time in digestive and the lowest in skin neoplasms with 14 days. Kaplan Meier curves showed bigger differences in time to return to work between locations among women than among men. Differences between both sexes were found statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Conclusions Most of the people who survive a cancer go back to employment. Time until return to work vary between cancer locations and sexes. Studying return to work of people who suffer a cancer allows us to determine how the disease affects survivors and society to better understand specific needs of survivors and detecting vulnerable groups. Key messages • Time from sickness absence due to cancer until return to work vary between cancer locations and sexes. • Research on sickness absence in important to better understand specific needs of survivors and detecting vulnerable groups.

Mental disorders in judicial workers: analysis of sickness absence in a cohort study.

To analyze risk factors for sickness absence due to mental disorders among judicial workers in Bahia, Brazil. Retrospective cohort with follow-up from 2011 to 2016 with 2,660 workers of a judicial sector in Bahia, Brazil. The main outcome measures were survival curves estimated for the independent variables using the Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator and risk factors for the first episode of sickness absence calculated based on the Cox regression model. The survival estimate of the population of this study for the event was 0.90 and from the Cox model the risk factors for the first episode of sickness absence due to mental disorders were: female (HR = 1.81), occupation of magistrate (HR = 1.80), and age over 30 years old (HR = 1.84). In addition, the risk for new cases of sickness absence among women reached 4.0 times the risk for men, in 2015. The estimated relative risks of sickness absence and the observed survival reduction behavior over time add information to the literature on sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with sickness absence due to mental disorders in the public sector. These results highlight the need for further research to more precisely identify vulnerable groups at risk of preventable mental health-related sickness absence in the workplace, better identify the workplace organizational factors that contribute to these disorders as well as studies on the effectiveness of workplace interventions to improve mental health among judicial and other public sectors workers.

The effects of a national, voluntary agreement for a more inclusive working life on work participation following long-term sickness absence: a Norwegian cohort study.

This study aimed to estimate the average individual effect of the company-level Norwegian Agreement on a More Inclusive Working Life (IA Agreement) on individuals' (i) sustained return to work after a sickness absence (SA) episode, and (ii) recurrent SA. Using register data, 79 253 men and 94 914 women born in Norway 1967-1976 were followed for one year between 2005 and 2010 after returning to work from an SA episode (>16 days). Weighted Cox proportional hazard models analysed time to first exit from work by companies' IA status (IA/non-IA). Weighted cumulative incidence differences between IA and non-IA groups with 95% bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for the competing events of full SA, graded (<100%) SA, unemployment/economic inactivity, education, disability pension, and death/emigration. Stabilised inverse probability of treatment weights balanced IA/non-IA groups according to nine covariates. Analyses were stratified by gender, and separately for two initial SA diagnoses (musculoskeletal and psychological). Both men [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99] and women (adjusted HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99) in IA companies were less likely to exit work in the year following SA. Similar findings were seen among individuals with musculoskeletal diagnoses and women with psychological diagnoses. Men with psychological diagnoses were more likely to exit work. Recurrent full and graded SA were more likely, and unemployment/economic inactivity less likely, in IA companies. However, the estimated effects were small and the CI often included the null. Individuals working in IA companies were more likely to remain in work. This was mainly due to reduced unemployment/economic inactivity, suggesting the IA Agreement may have influenced work participation through other means than reduced SA.

Sickness absence transitions among Swedish twins with back, neck or shoulder pain and common mental disorders applying a multi-state approach

We aimed to investigate transitions to and from sickness absence, or disability pension among individuals with back, neck, or shoulder pain and/or with common mental disorders (CMDs), and the role of familial (genetics and shared environment) influences on the transitions. Swedish twins born 1935–1985 who responded to pain and CMDs survey items (N = 41,516) were followed on average 8.7 years for sickness absence states in national registers. Multi-state Cox regression models were applied for three exposure groups: pain, CMDs, and presence of both, compared to unexposed. Exposure discordant twin pairs, stratified by zygosity, were analysed to assess the role of familial factors. Hazard Ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals and transition intensities were calculated. HRs were similar for transitions between states among those with pain or CMDs. The highest HRs were for transitions from entry to sickness absence and sickness absence to disability pension among those with both pain and CMDs (HRs: 1.61 and 1.43, respectively). Higher HRs for dizygotic compared to monozygotic twins for the first transition to sickness absence and for altering back to not being sickness absent indicate familial confounding. Back, neck, or shoulder pain and/or CMDs indicate a higher risk to become sickness absent and for repeated sickness absence episodes over time compared to unaffected.

65 The Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to PM2.5 on the London Underground

Abstract Transport for London (TfL) employed 36,506 staff between 2014 and 2019, 22,202 worked within the London Underground (LU). Employees were regularly exposed to PM2.5 concentrations 15-fold higher than those found above ground in London. However, PM2.5 in the LU differs in physical and chemical characteristics relative to outdoor air, and the health impacts are largely unquantified. This project aims to quantify LU PM exposure of staff and measure its impact on cardiorespiratory sickness absence. A job exposure matrix was developed to model TfL employee PM2.5 exposure based on their jobs. Measurement campaigns were deployed across the LU network to validate and revise staff PM2.5 exposure, which was then linked to sickness absence records. Poisson models were developed to explore the relationship with cardiorespiratory sickness absence. PM2.5 exposure of customer service staff varied depending on their grade and tasks they undertake. Concentrations ranged from 2 to 138 µg/m3 in the offices and 3 to 1,036 µg/m3 on the platforms. Drivers’ PM2.5 exposure was dependent on the line they worked on and the amount of time the train spent underground. Drivers have the highest PM2.5 exposure (median: 130 µg/m3) among all TfL staff and the highest mean number of all-cause (6.7) and respiratory (1.5) sickness absence episodes. This is the largest study to quantify LU PM exposure and the associated health effects within a London occupational cohort. It will contribute to a safer working environment for staff and to a better understanding of the potential health impact on the commuting population.

Extreme temperatures and sickness absence in the Mediterranean province of Barcelona: An occupational health issue.

This study aims to assess the association between daily temperature and sickness absence episodes in the Mediterranean province of Barcelona between 2012 and 2015, according to sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. Ecological study of a sample of salaried workers affiliated to the Spanish social security, resident in Barcelona province between 2012 and 2015. The association between daily mean temperature and risk of new sickness absence episodes was estimated with distributed lag non-linear models. The lag effect up to 1 week was considered. Analyses were repeated separately by sex, age groups, occupational category, economic sector and medical diagnosis groups of sickness absence. The study included 42,744 salaried workers and 97,166 episodes of sickness absence. The risk of sickness absence increased significantly between 2 and 6 days after the cold day. For hot days there was no association with risk of sickness absence. Women, young, non-manual and workers in the service sector had a higher risk of sickness absence on cold days. The effect of cold on sickness absence was significant for respiratory system diseases (RR: 2.16; 95%CI: 1.68-2.79) and infectious diseases (RR: 1.31; 95%CI: 1.04-1.66). Low temperatures increase the risk of having a new episode of sickness absence, especially due to respiratory and infectious diseases. Vulnerable groups were identified. These results suggest the importance of working in indoor and possibly poorly ventilated spaces in the spread of diseases that eventually lead to an episode of sickness absence. It is necessary to develop specific prevention plans for cold situations.

Office design, telework from home, and self-certified sickness absence: A cross-sectional study of main and moderating effects in a nationally representative sample.

This study aimed to investigate (i) the main effects of office design and access to telework from home (TWFH) on self-certified sickness absence and (ii) the moderating effects of access to TWFH on the relationship between office design and self-certified sickness absence. The study used cross-sectional survey data from a nationally representative sample from Norway (N=4329). Research objectives were investigated with negative binomial hurdle models, adjusting for age, gender, education level, leadership responsibility, and time spent on office work. Moderating effects of TWFH were evaluated with pairwise comparisons and plots of estimated marginal means. In adjusted models, employees in conventional open-plan offices [odds ratio (OR) 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-1.54] had significantly higher odds of sickness absence than employees in private offices. Employees with access to TWFH (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-0.99) had significantly lower odds of sickness absence than employees with no access. Among employees with access to TWFH, those in conventional open-plan offices had significantly higher predicted probability of self-certified sickness absence than those in private offices (z=4.41, P<0.0001). There were no significant differences between office designs among employees who did not have access to TWFH. There were no significant main or moderating effects on the number of sickness absence episodes in adjusted models. The current study identifies conventional open-plan offices as a potential risk factor for sickness absence. While access to TWFH may be a protective factor overall, it amplified - rather than attenuated - differences in sickness absence between employees in private offices and conventional open-plan offices.

Seasonal patterns of sickness absence due to diagnosed mental disorders: a nationwide 12-year register linkage study.

Although seasonality has been documented for mental disorders, it is unknown whether similar patterns can be observed in employee sickness absence from work due to a wide range of mental disorders with different severity level, and to what extent the rate of change in light exposure plays a role. To address these limitations, we used daily based sickness absence records to examine seasonal patterns in employee sickness absence due to mental disorders. We used nationwide diagnosis-specific psychiatric sickness absence claims data from 2006 to 2017 for adult individuals aged 16-67 (n=636,543 sickness absence episodes) in Finland, a high-latitude country with a profound variation in daylength. The smoothed time-series of the ratio of observed and expected (O/E) daily counts of episodes were estimated, adjusted for variation in all-cause sickness absence rates during the year. Unipolar depressive disorders peaked in October-November and dipped in July, with similar associations in all forms of depression. Also, anxiety and non-organic sleep disorders peaked in October-November. Anxiety disorders dipped in January-February and in July-August, while non-organic sleep disorders dipped in April-August. Manic episodes reached a peak from March to July and dipped in September-November and in January-February. Seasonality was not dependent on the severity of the depressive disorder. These results suggest a seasonal variation in sickness absence due to common mental disorders and bipolar disorder, with high peaks in depressive, anxiety and sleep disorders towards the end of the year and a peak in manic episodes starting in spring. Rapid changes in light exposure may contribute to sickness absence due to bipolar disorder. The findings can help clinicians and workplaces prepare for seasonal variations in healthcare needs.

The Time-Varying Effect of Participatory Shift Scheduling on Working Hour Characteristics and Sickness Absence: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment in Hospitals.

Participatory shift scheduling for irregular working hours can influence shift schedules and sickness absence. We investigated the effects of using participatory shift scheduling and shift schedule evaluation tools on working hour characteristics and sickness absence. We utilized a panel data for 2015-2019 with 16,557 hospital employees (6143 in the intervention and 10,345 in the control group). Difference-in-differences regression with ward-level clustered standard errors was used to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated coefficients relative to timing of the intervention with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Using participatory scheduling tool increased long working hours and weekend work and had delayed effects on the short (1-3 days) sickness absences. Increased effects were observed: 0.2 [95% CI 0.0-0.4] days for the second, and 0.8 [95% CI 0.5-1.0] for the third year after the onset of intervention. An average increase of 0.5 [95% CI 0.1-0.9] episodes on all sickness absence episodes was observed for the third year. Using the shift schedule evaluation tool with the participatory shift scheduling tool attenuated the adverse effects. To conclude, participatory shift scheduling increased some potentially harmful working hour characteristics but its effects on sickness absence were negligible, and further attenuated by using the shift schedule evaluation tool.

Sickness Absence in the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Workers as an Element of the Digital Twin Concept in Occupational Medicine

Introduction: A multifactorial analysis of the causes of morbidity and preventive measures provides an opportunity to build a risk prediction model for sickness absence in the working population, thereby reducing production and healthcare costs. Objective: A retrospective analysis of sickness absence in workers of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant exposed to a combination of occupational risk factors in the year 2020. Materials and methods: We analyzed sickness absence rates in the workers in terms of the ICD-10 nomenclature based on data of the Russian Statistical Observation Form No. 16-VN and established the number of episodes of sickness absence per employee as a relative indicator independent of the size of the groups under study. Results: The highest sickness absence rates per 100 employees were estimated for workers of the Training Center and Design and Technology Department (73.1 episodes each), the Hydroshop (68.6) and Transportation Department (65.5). In the Radioactive Waste Treatment Shop and the first and second Reactor Shops, these rates were 53, 43.9, and 33.9 per 100 employees, respectively. The mean duration of an episode of sickness absence in all divisions of the nuclear power plant was 13–15.4 days and its most frequent causes were, similar to the Kursk Region and the Russian Federation as a whole, diseases of the respiratory and musculoskeletal systems, injuries and poisonings. Conclusions: It is important to develop a risk-based approach in occupational medicine. To establish a cause-and-effect relationship for loss of health among nuclear industry workers, we propose to create a digital platform (a digital twin of an employee) enabling prediction of the time, cause, risk of a disease and/or disability, and prerequisites for its mitigation.

Sickness absence due to common mental disorders among precarious and non-precarious workers

Abstract Background Mental health disorders have become one of the leading diagnoses causing sickness absence. Previous studies have examined the impact of single employment characteristics or working conditions on sickness absence. However, few studies have investigated the effect of a multidimensional construct of precarious employment on sickness absence. Therefore, this study aims to describe sickness absence due to common mental disorders (CMD) as a proxy for access to social security benefits among precarious and non-precarious workers with mental health problems. Methods Cohort register-based study of the total Swedish population aged 27 to 61 years residing in Sweden in 2016 and having mental health problems defined as being prescribed Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) in 2017 (N = 19,691). Individuals were classified as precariously employed or not based on a precarious employment score measured multidimensionally in 2016 (i.e., employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of social protection). The outcome was the incidence of the first sickness absence episode due to CMD co-occurring with SSRI treatment in 2017. Logistic regression models will be performed. Results The following results are preliminary. Precariously employed treated with SSRI were 8,68% in 2017. The distribution of a first sickness absence episode due to common mental disorders was similar in precarious and non-precarious workers (12.35% and 12.42%, respectively). Individuals directly employed (12.20%), with multiple jobs holding (14.62%), and low-medium income levels (14%) had higher sickness absence incidence due to common mental disorders. There were slight differences by gender. Conclusions In these preliminary results, no differences were found between precarious and non-precarious workers with mental health problems in the distribution of sickness absence due to CMD. Further analysis will be conducted to investigate whether precarious employment is associated with sickness absences. Key messages

A Longitudinal Study on Trajectories of Night Work and Sickness Absence among Hospital Employees.

This study aimed to investigate trajectories of night shift work in irregular shift work across a 12-year follow-up among hospital employees with and without sickness absence (SA). The payroll-based register data of one hospital district in Finland included objective working hours and SA from 2008 to 2019. The number of night shifts per year was used in group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM). The results indicate that, among those who had any sickness absence episodes, the amount of night work decreased prior to the first SA. In general, trajectories of night shift work varied from stably high to low-but-increasing trajectories in terms of the number of shifts. However, a group with decreasing pattern of night work was identified only among those with sickness absence episodes but not among those without such episodes. To conclude, the identified trajectories of night work with or without sickness absences may indicate that, among those with sickness absence episodes, night work was reduced due to increasing health problems. Hence, the hospital employees working night shifts are likely a selected population because the employees who work at night are supposed to be healthier than those not opting for night work.

Workplace Bullying and Long-Term Sickness Absence—A Five-Year Follow-Up Study of 2476 Employees Aged 31 to 60 Years in Germany

Objectives: The aim was to investigate workplace bullying as a risk factor for five-year occurrence of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in a representative cohort of employees in Germany. Methods: In the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) (n = 2476), episodes of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) between baseline and follow-up were assessed in the follow-up interview. Workplace bullying was measured in the baseline interview using a hybrid approach, which combines the behavioural experience and self-labelling methods. Through binomial regressions, the association of baseline level of workplace bullying with first-episode LTSA during follow-up was estimated, adjusting for baseline age, gender, occupational level, smoking status and physical demands at work. Results: Severe bullying heightened the risk for LTSA by approximately 50% (Rate ratio—RR: 1.48, 95% Confidence interval—CI: 1.05; 2.19), while occasional bullying heightened the risk by 15% (RR: 1.15, CI: 0.85; 1.55). When excluding LTSA events occurring in the first 2 years, the associations between bullying and LTSA increased by approximately one third. Conclusions: Workplace bullying seems to be a risk factor for LTSA even when controlling for occupational level, smoking and physical demands at work and when taking possible reverse causality into account. We suggest to investigate effects of LTSA in more settings, to distinguish between occasional and severe bullying and employ longer follow-up intervals.

The impact of dysconscious racism and ethical caring on choral repertoire

ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate choral directors’ experiences as they navigate Whiteness through their own personal philosophies and practices related to repertoire selection and how those lived experiences may or may not impact their students. Twelve practicing choral directors from middle school through university settings were interviewed. Three important themes arose during analysis including the presence of dysconscious racism with episodes of white fragility, the presence and absence of ethical caring, and the development of a critical consciousness along a spectrum based on experiences. Implications for music educators are offered.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sickness absence for mental ill health in National Health Service staff

ObjectiveTo explore the patterns of sickness absence in National Health Service (NHS) staff attributable to mental ill health during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in March–July 2020.DesignCase-referent analysis...

Ethnic differences in risk of severe Covid-19: To what extent are they driven by exposure?

BackgroundThis study quantifies the risk of Covid-19 among ethnic groups of healthcare staff during the first pandemic wave in England.MethodsWe analysed data on 959 356 employees employed by 191 National Health Service trusts during 1 January 2019 to 31 July 2020, comparing rates of Covid-19 sickness absence in different ethnic groups.ResultsIn comparison with White ethnic groups, the risk of short-duration Covid-19 sickness absence was modestly elevated in South Asian but not Black groups. However, all Black and ethnic minority groups were at higher risk of prolonged Covid-19 sickness absence. Odds ratios (ORs) relative to White ethnicity were more than doubled in South Asian groups (Indian OR 2.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.36–2.63; Pakistani OR 2.38, 2.15–2.64; Bangladeshi OR 2.38, 1.98–2.86), while that for Black African ethnicity was 1.82 (1.71–1.93). In nursing/midwifery staff, the association of ethnicity with prolonged Covid-19 sickness absence was strong; the odds of South Asian nurses/midwives having a prolonged episode of Covid-19 sickness absence were increased 3-fold (OR 3.05, 2.82–3.30).ConclusionsResidual differences in risk of short term Covid-19 sickness absences among ethnic groups may reflect differences in non-occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Our results indicate ethnic differences in vulnerability to Covid-19, which may be only partly explained by medical comorbidities.