Work, nonwork, and withdrawal

Abstract

Studied absenteeism among 186 full-time unionized employees (average age approximately 32 yrs) who had continuous 4-yr work histories and who had not switched jobs between 1974 and 1977 to test the linkage between the relative attachments to work and nonwork domains and temporary withdrawal. Nonwork attachment was measured as an S's internal value of nonwork time; it was based on a unique measurement approach to capture income–leisure trade-offs using a within-Ss model. Work attachment was measured using job-scope perceptions and job satisfaction. Absenteeism was measured using both frequency and duration-of-episodes measures to capture the process of withdrawal from and return to work, respectively. The value of nonwork time was more strongly associated with absentee hours, whereas work attachment was more consistently correlated with absentee inception. Results support the view that absenteeism is a function of motivation processes extant in work and nonwork domains. (36 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)