Attending work while sick: implication of flexible sick leave policies
Matthew D Rousculp1, Stephen S Johnston, Liisa A Palmer
1Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics, MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA. RousculpM@MedImmune.com
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|October 1, 2010
Summary
Flexible sick leave policies, particularly teleworking, can reduce workplace attendance for employees with severe influenza-like illness (ILI). This helps minimize the spread of respiratory infections in the workplace.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Influenza-like illness (ILI) significantly impacts workplace attendance and productivity.
- Flexible sick leave policies (FSLPs) are increasingly adopted by employers to manage employee health.
- Understanding the effect of FSLPs on presenteeism during severe illness is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of various flexible sick leave policies (FSLPs) on workplace attendance among employees experiencing severe influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms.
- To quantify the impact of teleworking options on presenteeism during severe ILI.
- To assess the association between FSLPs and workplace attendance during periods of high symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 793 employees from three US employers (November 2007 - April 2008).
- Data collected on employee access to FSLPs, monthly ILI experience, and workplace attendance.
- Multivariate analyses were employed to determine the impact of FSLPs on attendance during severe ILI.
Main Results:
- The average duration of severe ILI symptoms was 3.0 days.
- A majority of employees (71.9%) worked while experiencing severe ILI, averaging 1.3 days.
- Employees with telework options demonstrated a 29.7% lower rate of working with severe ILI symptoms (P = 0.026).
Conclusions:
- Implementing teleworking policies can significantly reduce the likelihood of employees attending work with severe ILI symptoms.
- Teleworking may serve as an effective strategy to decrease employee-to-employee transmission of respiratory illnesses, including influenza.
- Employers should consider teleworking as a key component of flexible sick leave policies to enhance workplace health and safety.
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