Psychosocial factors of presenteeism in Chilean Health System workers (Manuscript in Spanish)

• Published in: Revista de psicología del trabajo y de las organizaciones 2015-08, Vol.31 (2), p.119
• Main Authors: Vera-Calzaretta, Aldo, Carrasco-Dájer, Claudia, Da Costa, Silvia, Páez-Rovira, Darío
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Illnesses; Licenses; Medical personnel; Occupational psychology; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Regression analysis
• ISSN: 1576-5962; 2174-0534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rpto.2015.03.004

This study analyzed the psychosocial factors that explained the presenteeism as a self-perceived deterioration of work performance associated with sick working. The sample consisted of 676 employees of the Chilean health system (84% women, average age 35.9 years, mostly nurses and paramedics). A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Job Content Questionnaire, the Effort-Reward Imbalance, the Health Performance Questionnaire, and a scale of family work interference were applied. Linear regression explained 21% of the variance of presenteeism as self-perceived deterioration of work performance. The last variable was associated to attending sick to work. The results confirm that going to work sick and work performance deterioration are two aspects of the same process. Self-perceived deterioration of work performance was predicted by absenteeism for health reasons, family-labor interference, emotional symptoms, and (negatively) shift working, controlling for age and salary. The findings also suggest that presenteeism is explained by psychosocial factors and work-family conflict.