Work strain, health, and absenteeism: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Organizational Behavior
• Human Resources Management

Background:

• Work strain is frequently cited as a primary driver of employee absenteeism in both academic and popular literature.
• Despite widespread claims, robust empirical evidence establishing a clear link between work strain and absenteeism remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively synthesize the existing research on the association between work strain and employee absenteeism.
• To explore potential mediating factors, such as psychological and physical symptoms, in the strain-absence relationship.
• To examine whether different measures of absence (frequency vs. time lost) are differentially related to illness.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a theory-focused meta-analysis, aggregating 275 effects from 153 independent studies.
• Employed structural equation modeling to investigate the mediating role of psychological and physical symptoms.
• Analyzed potential moderators, including measurement consistency and publication year.

Main Results:

• A small, positive association was found between work strain and absenteeism.
• Psychological and physical illness symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between work strain and absence.
• Limited evidence supported a distinction between absence frequency and time lost measures based on illness.

Conclusions:

• Work strain is associated with increased employee absenteeism, primarily through psychological and physical health pathways.
• Interventions targeting employee well-being and symptom management may be effective in reducing absenteeism.
• Future research should consider the nuances of absence measurement and the stability of strain-absence relationships.