On the extent and reduction of avoidable absenteeism: An assessment of absence policy provisions

Abstract

Studied 1,292 employees of a public utility company. The investigation had several objectives: (1) to identify that portion of employee absenteeism that is avoidable, (2) to compare this measure of avoidable absenteeism with more traditional measures, and (3) to examine the relationship of the measure of avoidable absenteeism with a selected absence policy, a waiting-time provision whereby employees were compensated differently for absenteeism. The avoidable absenteeism measure was more robustly related to predictor variables than the more traditional absence measurements. The results indicate that absenteeism policy is a far better predictor of avoidable absenteeism than any individual or attitudinal factor singly or in combination. Also, a relatively small percentage of employees were responsible for the vast majority of avoidable absenteeism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)