Why Do Workers Take More Sick Days Off When the Economy is Good?
Economists have known about this trend for a while, and they typically provide two main reasons why. First, workers have an increased incentive to show up to work during a bad economy to avoid losing their jobs and falling into a bad job market. Second, a good economy’s workforce might be less healthy since less healthy people can more easily find work during good times.
Now, a new study poses another explanation: better economies increase workloads. Those increased workloads encourage workers to go to work even when they’re sick, and those sick employees then get their coworkers sick. Swiss economist Stefan Pichler developed a model to prove this idea, and his findings suggest that employers should encourage workers to stay home when they’re sick.
“Those increased workloads encourage workers to go to work even when they’re sick, and those sick employees then get their coworkers sick”
That’s gross. If you’re sick, stay home.
I feel like you could argue the opposite of this really easily. As the economy gets bad, workers get cut, increasing the workload on those still there. Insert process from above.
So maybe the secret to optimizing days worked is a mediocre economy?
How so?
Well, if a good economy increases workload and sick days, and bad economies increase workload (which this study suggests would increase sick days), maybe the answer is a mediocre workload, created by a mediocre economy.
Good luck arguing that one. “My ultimate goal as your congressman is to optimize your time worked by creating a so-so economy.”
Well I didn’t say it was favorable. Just that it would be interesting to test. No one every analyzes the economy when it’s just chilling out.
This makes a lot of sense. The stress that accompanies having a larger workload also probably compromises immune systems, making people more likely to succumb to illness in the first place. Lots of research backs that theory up: http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~scohen/encyclo94.pdf, etc etc
Very interesting!
Why Do Workers Take More Sick Days Off When the Economy is Good?
If I were to venture a guess, it would be that workers feel more secure in their jobs when times are good. When times are bad, workers tend to hunker down to avoid being the next layoff victim.
I wonder if they looked at interviewing for another job?
That’s interesting. It’s possible that people take more sick days to look for better jobs when they feel more secure.
Why not when the economy’s bad? Look for something better, right?
If the economy’s already bad, do you really want to risk your boss finding out that you’re looking elsewhere? On his time?
Ah. Fair point.
Like Devon said, you hunker down when times are tough.
During bad times people may be “banking” PTO hours. If laid off, they then get the payout and will have ample free time.
And recent hires may have less PTO accumulated in the first place.