Work absenteeism and its
impact on productivity in the administrative area
Absentismo laboral y su
impacto en la productividad del área administrativa
Betty Acosta*
ABSTRACT
The
article examines in detail how absenteeism affects the administrative area of an
organization. To address this issue, a literature review was conducted,
incorporating previous studies and case analyses. The findings consistently
reveal that absenteeism generates adverse consequences on the efficiency of
administrative operations, with potential repercussions on job quality and
customer satisfaction. Furthermore, contributing factors to absenteeism were
identified, such as workplace climate, compensation, and interpersonal
relationships, which are crucial in the work environment, as tensions and
conflicts can arise due to absenteeism. This analysis provides a deeper
understanding of the mechanisms underlying absenteeism in the administrative
area. Based on these results, strategies to mitigate absenteeism and enhance
productivity in the administrative sphere are explored. Approaches focused on
promoting a positive work climate, equitable salary reviews, and the
implementation of programs that foster healthy interpersonal relationships are
discussed. These strategies aim to reduce absenteeism, strengthen the
resilience and commitment of administrative staff.
Keywords:
Work environment, Quality of work,
Efficiency, Work environment, Remuneration, Interpersonal relationships.
RESUMEN
El artículo examina
detalladamente cómo el absentismo laboral incide en el área administrativa de
una organización. Para abordarlo, se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica
que incorpora estudios previos y análisis de casos. Los hallazgos revelan de
manera consistente que el ausentismo laboral genera consecuencias adversas en
la eficiencia de las operaciones administrativas, con posibles repercusiones en
la calidad del trabajo y en la satisfacción del cliente. Dentro de los factores
identificados como contribuyentes al fenómeno del absentismo, se destacan
elementos como el clima laboral, la remuneración y las relaciones
interpersonales en el entorno de trabajo. Estos factores son cruciales, porque
las tensiones y conflictos presentes en el ambiente laboral pueden influir en
la propensión de los empleados a ausentarse. Este análisis ofrece una
comprensión más profunda de los mecanismos que subyacen al ausentismo laboral
en el área administrativa. A partir de estos resultados, se exploran
estrategias para mitigar el ausentismo y mejorar la productividad en el ámbito
administrativo. Se discuten enfoques centrados en la promoción de un clima
laboral positivo, revisiones salariales equitativas y la implementación de
programas que fomenten relaciones interpersonales saludables. Estas estrategias
apuntan a reducir el ausentismo, fortalecer la resiliencia y el compromiso del
personal administrativo.
Palabras clave: Entorno de trabajo, Calidad del
trabajo, Eficiencia, Clima laboral, Remuneración, Relaciones interpersonales.
INTRODUCTION
Absenteeism is a widespread concern that affects many
companies and organizations globally, Molinera Mateos (2006) defines absenteeism as “Any absence from
work, whether justified or not, computable by the chronological difference
between the contracted work time and the time actually performed” (p. 19).
Tatamuez-Tarapues et al. (2019) have defined it as
the “non-attendance at work for a period of one or more working days,
considered as a health problem with a growing interest due to its impact on
quality of life, mental health of the worker, economy and organizational competitiveness”.
The authors, referring to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the
World Health Organization (WHO), indicate that absences due to vacations,
strikes, pregnancy and deprivation of liberty are not considered absenteeism,
and that another form of absenteeism occurs when the employee does not perform
his or her duties despite attending work. Thus, absenteeism considers when the
employee has inactivity or absence in their designated work schedule, which has
no justification or has been made repeatedly and affects the performance of the
company.
The study of absenteeism is not a new research topic, early studies such as
Harrison and Martocchio (1998), focused on the causes
of absenteeism, a topic that can also be analyzed from its effects. The authors
established three periods for interpretation, for which they used 20 years of
information, short term (1 day-3 months), medium term (4-12 months) and long
term (> 12 months), focusing on the study of the medium term. The International
Labor Organization (ILO) indicated that on average 5% of the workforce is
absent from work daily, ranging from 2 to 10% depending on the activity and
management culture (ILO/ILO, 2003).
For his part, Velarde (2022), in his work carried out
in Spain, indicates that, in the period analyzed, the public sectors led the
ranking of absenteeism. Of these, the main ones were health and social services
activities, followed by public administration and defense and social security.
According to Tatamuez-Tarapues
et al. (2019) “this problem has been catalogued as a phenomenon that generates
direct and indirect negative consequences in organizations, in terms of costs,
productivity, administrative and human resource attrition”. Indicating that the
absenteeism of employees to their workplace, is detrimental in different
components of companies, generating a synergistic impact that translates into
costs. In this context, absenteeism has a direct impact on the productivity of
organizations, since the lack of employees can cause delays in projects and
tasks.
In addition to the tangible impact on productivity, absenteeism can also have
intangible but significant consequences on the work environment. Employee
morale can be negatively affected when the frequent absence of colleagues
places an additional burden on those present. This imbalance can contribute to
a decrease in staff commitment and motivation, which, in turn, affects the
overall work climate. A demotivating work environment can generate a cascade of
negative effects, from a deterioration in the quality of working relationships
to increased employee turnover (Borda et al., 2017).
Several factors contribute to the phenomenon of absenteeism and it is essential
to identify them in order to effectively address the problem. Among these
factors are work climate, interpersonal relationships, and illness. A positive
work climate can act as a buffer against absenteeism, fostering an environment
where employees feel valued and motivated. Fair pay also plays a crucial role,
as dissatisfaction with wages can drive employees to miss work to attend job
interviews in search of better opportunities (Berón et al., 2021).
For their part, Tatamuez-Tarapues
et al. (2019), in their work on absenteeism in Latin America, indicate that it
is essential to recognize the employee as an essential part of the
organization, valuing their contributions in business decision making. In
addition, it is important to foster their motivation and enthusiasm, promoting
the development of their professional skills. Creating a sense of belonging to
the organization, improving the work environment and interpersonal
relationships, which in turn will ensure employee retention and the proper
performance of their duties.
As the aforementioned authors state, absenteeism
covers a broad spectrum, and it is necessary that not only individuals but also
companies become aware of the important losses caused by absenteeism, not only
from an economic point of view, but also that they look beyond it, visualizing
the causes both at a social and mental level that can affect the productivity
of an organization. The employee will produce more if the environment around
him motivates and recognizes his effort.
The review seeks to understand the effects of absenteeism on the administrative
processes of an organization, particularly its productivity, while observing
the causes of absenteeism; for this purpose, a methodology has been developed,
as described below.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
For
this descriptive review study, with an inductive qualitative approach, a
literature review of studies on the topic of absenteeism was carried out. In
the selection process, keywords were used in databases such as PubMed, Scielo
and Google Scholar, in order to identify relevant articles. The inclusion
criteria for the studies were: 1) To be written in English or Spanish; 2) To
have been published mainly in the last 5 years; and, 3) To contain relevant
information on absenteeism and its impact on productivity in the administrative
area.
However, an exceptional selection of a longer period
of years was justified by the need for a comprehensive and detailed view of the
evolution of the topic over time, thus allowing a better contextualization and
understanding of the trends and changes in this field.
The findings were
systematized in a frequency table of recurrent themes in the literature and
media reviewed, which presented a general idea of those themes of greatest
relevance.
RESULTS
The detailed results of the literature review shed
light on the significant impact of absenteeism on productivity in the
administrative area of organizations.
From the perspective of the effects of absenteeism, the consistency in the
studies reviewed reveals that the negative consequences of absenteeism are not
only limited to lost time, but also extend to the quality of work and the work
environment. The frequent absence of employees in the administrative area can
generate interruptions in the continuity of operations, potentially affecting
the delivery of services and products with the desired standards.
In the analysis of the articles on absenteeism, there was a recurrent frequency
in the appearance of several thematic areas. Among the most prominent was
“impact on productivity”, discussed in 5 studies, followed by contributing
factors, addressed in 3 studies. The other items presented lower frequencies.
These findings give an insight into the relevant topics of absenteeism in the
academic literature reviewed.
DISCUSSION
The literature review highlighted the importance of
understanding the underlying factors that contribute to or relate to
absenteeism in the management context. Each theme is analyzed according to its
frequency of occurrence in the review. The discussion of absenteeism and its
impact on productivity in the administrative area is fundamental to
understanding the complex dynamics that affect organizational functioning.
Impact on productivity. Work absenteeism, defined as
the unscheduled absence of employees during working hours, can have significant
consequences on the creation and efficiency of a company. It is a problem that
affects organizations, including its administrative area. Borda et al. (2017),
argue that absenteeism is a social, economic and labor problem that has a great
impact on the worker who is absent, but also on the company that sees its
procurement affected, which in the end results in a slowdown of economic and
social growth in different sectors of society.
According to Borda et al. (2017), absenteeism can
generate a decrease in manufacturing due to the interruption of operations and
the additional workload for the employees present.
In addition, the impact of absenteeism in the administrative area can be even
more pronounced. Unplanned absences in administrative staff can lead to delays
in reporting, medical leave tracking, and adjustments in human resource
planning, which directly affects operational efficiency and the company's
ability to maintain a smooth operation.
Contributing Factors
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been concerned
with analyzing the issue from the causal by diseases, indicating that
initiatives from organizations can contribute to reduce it by approximately
27%, while the reduction of medical costs by companies, would be in the order
of 26% (WHO, 2017).
According to Sesame HR (2024), among the causes of
absenteeism, there are: Personal problems, Motivation and satisfaction,
Unreported health problems and Poor time management.
Mitigation strategies
It is crucial that organizations implement effective
absenteeism management strategies to mitigate these impacts and ensure an
efficient and profitable operation in the administrative area.
The literature reviewed highlights the relevance of
interpersonal relationships in attendance decision-making. Tensions and
conflicts between colleagues can create a tense work environment, encouraging
employees to be absent to avoid uncomfortable or stressful situations.
Identifying and addressing these interpersonal issues proves to be a crucial
component in managing absenteeism.
Sesame HR (2022) proposes several strategies to
prevent or mitigate absenteeism, including:
i. Favorable work environment: Generate work
motivation, taking care of work spaces, integrating departments,
promoting meeting days, etc.
ii. Corporate culture: planning by incorporating the option of teleworking.
Recognizing achievements, maintaining fluid communication, generating links
between managers and their teams.
iii. Feedback: that workers offer and receive feedback based on communication
and follow-up strategies.
iv. Training: Training plan to promote the career plans of each worker.
v. Performance evaluation: to recognize the effort and work of an employee.
vi. Digital disconnection: respect disconnection times.
Work climate
From the point of view of causes, according to
Baptista et al. (2016) the negative environment can act as a catalyst for
absenteeism, as employees may feel demotivated or disengaged from their work
environment. Interpersonal relationships were identified as key elements that
influence the frequency of absenteeism, because the discomfort of those who
assumed other people's tasks will be evident in the work coexistence.
On the other hand, in terms of the effects, the absent colleague may suffer
because his tasks are delegated to his colleagues or because his internal
clients are unable to continue with their work or finish it in full due to his
absence.
Economic effects
Absenteeism presents significant challenges to
productivity in the administrative area, affecting both the operational
efficiency and the financial resources of a company. In this regard, Sesame HR
(2022) mentions that absenteeism generates a great impact on the maintenance of
the organization's wealth and causes negative results. In addition, it
increases personnel costs and increases the workload, generating a bad working
environment.
Regarding the importance of work results, it is important to note that absenteeism
can negatively affect the quality of work and productivity. If workers are
frequently absent, it is possible that the rhythm of work is lost and tasks
have to be repeated, which can lead to an increase in prices and a decrease in
the quality of work.
In financial terms, absenteeism can also represent a significant financial
burden for companies. The direct cost of absenteeism in terms of lost hours and
disability payments can represent up to 4% of a company's total payroll,
underscoring the importance of proactively addressing this problem.
Relationship to employee well-being
According to Baptista et al. (2016) dissatisfaction
with pay can drive employees to seek more attractive opportunities or avoid
investing more time in tasks, contributing to mediocre results and increasing
the rate of absenteeism. To manage absenteeism, organizations can implement
wellness policies and occupational health programs, as well as promote a
positive and flexible work environment (Cascio, 2021).
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*Mgtr. – Docente
Investigador Instituto Tecnológico Superior Corporativo Edwards Deming b.acosta@deming.edu.ec , https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5493-5416