The impact of working conditions on sickness absence: a theoretical model and an empirical application to work schedules

Afsa, Cédric; Givord, Pauline

doi:10.1007/s00181-012-0673-2

Cited by 10 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The baseline estimates in Column (1) show that the fraction of women ever having experienced a long-term illness spell is 3.2 percentage points larger among the treated as compared with controls three years after childbirth. The difference in the fraction length of illness is also estimated to be significantly positive in the medium run, amounting to 1.1 percentage points three years after childbirth.…”

Section: Regression Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The results for the labor market and health outcome variables corresponding to the placebo-corrected estimates in the last columns of Table 3 and 4 are shown in Column (1) and (2) of Table A3 in the Appendix. As to the labor market effects, the results in Column (1) indicate that especially the magnitude of the short-run effects seems quite robust and varies only slightly over the particular time window one adopts. Even though the estimates in the medium and long-run differ somewhat from those in Table 3, the pattern of insignificant medium and long-run results is very similar to that in Table 3.…”

Section: Robustness Checksmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Maternity Leave and Mothers' Long-Term Sickness Absence - Evidence from Germany

Gürtzgen

Hank

2014

SSRN Journal

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Die Dis cus si on Pape rs die nen einer mög lichst schnel len Ver brei tung von neue ren For schungs arbei ten des ZEW. Die Bei trä ge lie gen in allei ni ger Ver ant wor tung der Auto ren und stel len nicht not wen di ger wei se die Mei nung des ZEW dar.Dis cus si on Papers are inten ded to make results of ZEW research prompt ly avai la ble to other eco no mists in order to encou ra ge dis cus si on and sug gesti ons for revi si ons. The aut hors are sole ly respon si ble for the con tents which do not neces sa ri ly repre sent the opi ni on of the ZEW. Abstract Exploiting unique German administrative data, we estimate the association between an expansion in maternity leave duration from two to six months in 1979 and mothers' post-birth long-term sickness absence over a period of three decades after childbirth. Using a regression discontinuity design, we first show that the leave extension caused mothers to significantly delay their return to work within the first year after childbirth. We then compare the number and length of spells of long-term sickness absence of returned mothers who gave birth before and after the change in leave legislation. Our findings suggest that among those returned, mothers subject to the leave extension exhibit a higher incidence of long-term sickness absence as compared to control mothers. This also holds true after controlling for observable differences in pre-birth illness histories. At the same time, there are no pronounced effects on mothers' medium-run labor market attachment following the short-run delay in return to work, which might rationalize a negative causal health effect. Breaking down the results by mothers' pre-birth health status suggests that the higher incidence of long-term sickness absence among the treated may be explained by the fact that the reform has facilitated re-entry of a negative health selection into the labor market.

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Section: Regression Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Robustness Checksmentioning

confidence: 97%

Maternity Leave and Mothers' Long-Term Sickness Absence - Evidence from Germany

Gürtzgen

Hank

2014

SSRN Journal

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“…Better working conditions, in turn, can reduce the incidence of illnesses, improve the motivation of employees, and reduce absenteeism (cf. Afsa and Givord ). However, better working conditions may also imply that employees are less likely to attend work when ill (i.e., reduce sickness presenteeism) and, potentially, increase absence.…”

Section: Related Contributions and Institutional Set‐upmentioning

confidence: 96%

Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer–Employee Data

Arnold

Brändle

Goerke

2018

Industrial Relations

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Using both household and linked employer-employee data for Germany, we assess the effects of non-union representation in the form of works councils on (1) individual sickness absence rates and (2) a subjective measure of personnel problems due to sickness absence as perceived by a firm's management. We find that the existence of a works council is positively correlated with the incidence and the annual duration of absence. We observe a more pronounced correlation in western Germany which can also be interpreted causally. Further, personnel problems due to absence are more likely to occur in plants with a works council. Terms of use: Documents inJEL Classification: J53, I18, M54

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“…Labriola et al (2006) find that 40% of Danish sickness absence can be attributed to workplace conditions. The work environment may affect sickness absence through a number of different channels (Benavides et al, 2001;Afsa and Givord, 2013;Vahtera and Kivimäki, 2001;Lund et al, 2005). A poor working environment can directly cause illness or stress, enhance employees' liability to catch ordinary diseases such as for instance a cold, or have a demotivating effect.…”

Section: Previous Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

Child-to-Teacher Ratio and Day Care Teacher Sickness Absenteeism

Gørtz

Andersson

2013

Health Econ.

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The literature on occupational health points to work pressure as a trigger of sickness absence. However, reliable, objective measures of work pressure are in short supply. This paper uses Danish day care teachers as an ideal case for analysing whether work pressure measured by the child-to-teacher ratio, that is, the number of children per teacher in an institution, affects teacher sickness absenteeism. We control for individual teacher characteristics, workplace characteristics, and family background characteristics of the children in the day care institutions. We perform estimations for two time periods, 2002-2003 and 2005-2006, by using generalized method of moments with lagged levels of the child-to-teacher ratio as instrument. Our estimation results are somewhat mixed. Generally, the results indicate that the child-to-teacher ratio is positively related to short-term sickness absence for nursery care teachers, but not for preschool teachers.

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The impact of working conditions on sickness absence: a theoretical model and an empirical application to work schedules

Abstract: Les documents de travail ne reflètent pas la position de l'INSEE et n'engagent que leurs auteurs. Working papers do not reflect the position of INSEE but only the views of the authors.

Cited by 10 publications

References 26 publications

Maternity Leave and Mothers' Long-Term Sickness Absence - Evidence from Germany

Maternity Leave and Mothers' Long-Term Sickness Absence - Evidence from Germany

Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer–Employee Data

Child-to-Teacher Ratio and Day Care Teacher Sickness Absenteeism

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