Sickness Presenteeism in Prison Officers: Risk Factors and Implications for Wellbeing and Productivity

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychology
• Criminology

Background:

• Sickness presenteeism, working while unwell, is a growing concern.
• Factors influencing presenteeism necessitate examination across diverse occupational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and impact of sickness presenteeism among UK prison officers.
• To identify reasons for presenteeism and their relationship with mental health, job performance, and safety climate.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 1956 UK prison officers.
• Data collected included presenteeism frequency, reasons, mental health symptoms, job performance, and safety climate perceptions.

Main Results:

• 92% of officers reported presenteeism, with 43% always working while unwell.
• Presenteeism correlated significantly with poorer mental health, impaired job performance, and a negative safety climate.
• Reasons for presenteeism explained substantial variance in mental health (31%), job performance (34%), and safety climate (17%).

Conclusions:

• High rates of sickness presenteeism exist in UK prison officers.
• Interventions targeting organizational and individual levels are needed to promote healthier sickness absence practices.
• Reducing presenteeism can enhance staff wellbeing, job performance, and workplace safety.