Operant conditioning or behaviour modification has stressed the role that the immediate environment has in influencing individual behaviour. The central concepts in operant conditioning theory are those of punishment andreward. In this area theory has suggested how behaviour can be strengthened (reinforced) by paying systematic attention to the immediacy and the frequency of the environmental consequences that follow the performance of requiredbehaviours. While these behavioural principles have been widely applied in solving various educational and healthproblems, it is only recently that behaviourists have become interested in work related problems. This paper reviewsrecent applications of operant conditioning techniques to absenteeism and concludes that these techniquessystematically reduced absenteeism.