Timing matters: worker absenteeism in a weekly backward rotating shift model.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Labor Economics

Background:

• Shift work scheduling significantly impacts employee well-being and organizational productivity.
• Understanding absenteeism drivers is crucial for effective workforce management in manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between shift timing (morning, afternoon, night) and worker absenteeism.
• To identify specific shift patterns that correlate with increased absence rates in an automotive manufacturing setting.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a balanced panel data set from 153 organizational units over two years (2009-2010).
• Estimation using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and Fixed Effects models.
• Utilized 15,912 unit-week observations to ensure robust statistical power.

Main Results:

• Absence rates were significantly higher during afternoon shifts compared to morning or night shifts.
• A notable increase in absenteeism occurred during the afternoon shift immediately following three consecutive night shifts.
• Findings are attributed to 'social opportunity costs' and a potential 'tax evasion effect'.

Conclusions:

• Shift work design should proactively address potential worker responses to avoid unintended consequences.
• Firms need to consider the psychological and social factors influencing absenteeism when implementing shift schedules.
• Optimizing shift models can mitigate absenteeism and improve overall operational efficiency.