Imitation, Contagion, or Exertion? Using a Tax Reform to Reveal How Colleagues' Sick Leaves Influence Worker Behaviour

We analyse the social interaction effects in sick-leave behaviour in the workplace, using highquality Norwegian matched employer-employee data with detailed individual information on sick leaves during the 2004—2006 period. We find that social interaction effects in sickleave behaviour in the workpl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Scandinavian journal of economics 2015-01, Vol.117 (1), p.57-83
Main Authors: Dale-Olsen, Harald, Østbakken, Kjersti Misje, Schøne, Pål
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Co-workers
Economic behaviour
Economic theory
Employees
H55
J22
Labor economics
Leisure economics
Norway
panel data
Psychological aspects
Sick leave
sickness absence
Social interaction
Studies
Tax reform
Work place
Z13
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Summary:We analyse the social interaction effects in sick-leave behaviour in the workplace, using highquality Norwegian matched employer-employee data with detailed individual information on sick leaves during the 2004—2006 period. We find that social interaction effects in sickleave behaviour in the workplace do exist, and that the effects are noticeable in size. The strong relationship between the sick-leave rates among colleagues is not solely the result of contagious diseases, nor is it caused by improved informational quality or by the increased workload for the non-absent workers. Evidence supports the existence of reciprocal worker behaviour that is unrelated to joint leisure-seeking activities.
ISSN:0347-0520
1467-9442
DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12082