Association between work style and presenteeism in the Japanese service sector

To address ongoing problems concerning population aging and labor shortages in Japan, employers have sought to improve work efficiency and labor productivity. However, it is unclear how presenteeism is affected by working styles in line with current corporate initiatives, such as reduced working hours, varied employment status, and flexible work arrangements. The purpose of this article was to investigate the association between work style and presenteeism.

This cross-sectional study extracted data from employee profiles, employee attendance records, and a questionnaire in a large service sector company. Multiple linear regression was conducted to estimate the contributions of work style variables to the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) index score.

In total, 21 500 participants were eligible for analysis. The WLQ index was lower for those working < 35 h/week (adjusted regression coefficient [ARC]:-0.35%; 95% CI: -0.48 to - 0.21) and higher for those working 40-44 h/week or ≥ 45 h/week, compared with those working 35-39 h/week. The position of team manager was positively associated with the WLQ index, whereas senior manager (ARC: -1.44%; 95% CI: -1.71 to - 1.17) and part-time staff (ARC: -1.75%; 95% CI: -1.98 to - 1.52) positions were negatively associated with the WLQ index, compared with non-managers. Those who worked remotely had significantly lower WLQ index scores (ARC: -0.61%; 95% CI: -0.95 to - 0.27).

Reduced working hours and flexible work arrangements were associated with lower work limitations, which imply presenteeism, although additional research is necessary to verify these results.