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Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: An observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:Previous research suggesting that open-plan office environments are associated with higher rates of sickness absence rely on self-reports which can be affected by recall bias. This paper investigates the associations of sickness absence, obtained from employer records as well as self-reports, with office type (cell offices and different sizes of open-plan offices). It additionally studies whether office type is associated with sickness presence. METHODS:Employees from two private and one public sector organization were recruited to the study. Office type was ascertained by direct observation or from employee responses to an online survey. Control variables were gender, age, public/private sector and education level. Number of days and episodes of sickness absence were calculated from employer absence records and regressed on office type using negative binomial regression (n = 988). Self-reports of sickness absence and presence were regressed on office type using ordered logistic regression (n = 1237). RESULTS:Office type was generally not associated with employer records of number of episodes or days of sickness absence, except that the total number of days of leave was higher in flex offices compared to cell offices (IRR = 2.46, p = 0.007). In general, office type was not associated with self-reported days of sickness absence, apart from participants working in medium-sized open-plan offices who had 0.42 higher log-odds of absence than those working in cell offices (p = 0.004). Office type was not associated with self-reported sickness presence. CONCLUSIONS:Office type was not associated with sickness presence nor, in general, with sickness absence, whether obtained from self-reports or company records. It is not possible to conclude from this study that open-plan offices are associated with greater sickness absence or sickness presence compared to cell offices.

SUBMITTER: Platts LG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7190108 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: An observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden.

Platts Loretta G LG Seddigh Aram A Berntson Erik E Westerlund Hugo H

PloS one 20200429 4

<h4>Objectives</h4>Previous research suggesting that open-plan office environments are associated with higher rates of sickness absence rely on self-reports which can be affected by recall bias. This paper investigates the associations of sickness absence, obtained from employer records as well as self-reports, with office type (cell offices and different sizes of open-plan offices). It additionally studies whether office type is associated with sickness presence.<h4>Methods</h4>Employees from t ...[more]

PMID: 32348340

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Project description:ObjectivesSocioeconomic position has been linked to sickness absence (SA). However, less is known about the role of occupational prestige, a measure of social status afforded by one's occupation, in SA. We investigated the association between occupational prestige and SA and the distribution of the association in women and men. We also examined the effect of intersections of gender and occupational prestige on SA.DesignLongitudinal.SettingA nationwide representative sample of Swedish working population.Participants97 397 employed individuals aged 25-59 years selected from the 2004, 2007 and 2010 waves of the Swedish Labour Force Survey and prospectively linked to the Swedish Longitudinal Integration Database for Health Insurance and Labour Market Studies.Outcome measuresThe number of SA days in any particular year during a 3-year follow-up and long-term (>120 days) SA based on those with at least one sick leave spell during the follow-up.ResultsOccupational prestige was weakly associated with SA in the total sample after adjusting for potential confounders. In the gender-stratified analysis, women in lower prestige occupations had higher absenteeism rates than women in high prestige occupations; men in lower prestige occupations had higher odds for long-term SA than men in high prestige occupations. In the intersectional analysis, women regardless of prestige level and men in lower prestige occupations had higher probability of SA compared with men in high prestige occupations. Women in high prestige occupations had the highest absenteeism rates (incidence rate ratio (IRR), 2.25, 95% CI, 2.20 to 2.31), while men in medium prestige occupations had the lowest rates (IRR, 1.17, 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.20). Compared with the rest of the groups, men in low and medium prestige occupations had higher odds for long-term absence.ConclusionThere is need to pay close attention to occupational prestige as a factor that may influence health and labour market participation.

Project description:BackgroundOrganizational changes in modern corporate life have become increasingly common and there are indications that they often fail to achieve their ends. An earlier study of 24,036 employees showed that those who had repeatedly been exposed to large increases in staffing during 1991-1996 had an excess risk of both long-term sickness absence and hospital admission during 1997-1999, while moderate expansion appeared to be protective. The former was most salient among female public sector employees. We used qualitative interviews to explore work environment factors underlying the impact of organizational changes (moderate and large expansions in staffing) on sickness absence from an employee perspective.MethodWe interviewed 21 strategically selected women from the earlier study using semi-structured telephone interviews focusing on working conditions during the organizational changes. We identified 22 themes which could explain the association between organizational changes and sickness absence. We then used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to reduce the number of themes and discover patterns of possible causation.ResultsThe themes that most readily explained the outcomes were Well Planned Process of Change (a clear structure for involvement of the employees in the changes), Agent of Change (an active role in the implementation of the changes), Unregulated Work (a lack of clear limits and guidelines regarding work tasks from the management and among the employees), and Humiliating Position (feelings of low status or of not being wanted at the workplace), which had been salient throughout the analytic process, in combination with Multiple Contexts (working in several teams in parallel) and Already Ill (having already had a debilitating illness at the beginning of 1991), which may indicate degree of individual exposure and vulnerability. Well Planned Process of Change, Agent of Change and Multiple Contexts are themes that were associated with low sickness absence. Unregulated Work, Humiliating Position and Already Ill were associated with high sickness absence.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that promising areas for future research and improvement in change management could be the structured involvement of the employees in the planning of organizational changes, and the development of methods to avoid highly unregulated working conditions.

Project description:BackgroundSickness absence is associated with lower school achievements and early school leaving. The Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students (MASS) intervention is a proactive school-based intervention focused primarily on early identification and reduction of sickness absence. This study used a program evaluation framework to evaluate the MASS intervention among intermediate vocational education students and Youth Health Care professionals. Outcome indicators were primarily number of sick days, education fit, and school performance, and secondarily, seven health indicators. Process indicators were dose delivered and received, satisfaction, and experience.MethodsThe MASS intervention evaluation was conducted in ten intermediate vocational education schools. Students with extensive sickness absence from school in the past three months were included in either the intervention or control condition. Students completed a baseline and a six-month follow-up self-report questionnaire. Linear and logistic regression analyses were applied. Students and Youth Health Care professionals completed an evaluation form regarding their satisfaction and experience with the intervention.ResultsParticipants (n = 200) had a mean age of 18.6 years (SD = 2.02) and 78.5% were female. The MASS intervention showed positive results on decreasing sickness absence in days (β = -1.13, 95% CI = -2.22;-0.05, p < 0.05) and on decreasing depressive symptoms (β = -4.11, 95% CI = -7.06;-1.17, p < 0.05). No effects were found for other health indicators (p > 0.05). A significant interaction revealed a decline in sickness absence in males (p < 0.05) but not in females (p > 0.05). Youth Health Care professionals found the application of the MASS intervention useful (n = 35 forms). The mean rating of students for the consultation within the MASS intervention was an 8.3 (SD = 1.3) out of 10 (n = 14 forms).ConclusionsOur study provides some indication that the MASS intervention has positive effects on decreasing both sickness absence and depressive symptoms among intermediate vocational education students. The Youth Health Care professionals who provided the consultation as part of the MASS intervention considered the intervention to be useful and stated that the consultation was delivered as intended in almost all cases. Students were generally satisfied with the intervention. We recommend that future research evaluates the MASS intervention in a large randomized controlled trial with a longer follow-up.Trial registrationThis study was prospectively registered in the Netherlands Trial Register under number NTR5556 , in October 2015.

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Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: An observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden.

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Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: An observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden.

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