Who gains the most from improving working conditions? Health-related absenteeism and presenteeism due to stress at work

Remote work transition amidst COVID-19: Impacts on presenteeism, absenteeism, and worker well-being-A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote work, leading to increased attention on presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers. Understanding the implications of these phenomena on worker health and productivity is crucial for optimizing remote work arrangements and developing policies to improve employee well-being.

OBJECTIVES

This scoping review aims to examine the occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the interrelated physical and mental health issues during these periods.

METHODS

PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Eric, Business Source Premier, SCOPUS, and sociological abstracts were searched resulting in 1792 articles. Articles were included if the population of interest was 18+ (i.e., working age), engaged in full or part-time work, and the employees shifted from in-person to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All study designs, geographical areas, and papers written post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were included; however, systematic reviews were excluded. Data was charted into Microsoft Excel by 2 independent reviewers.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 10 studies (i.e., seven cross-sectional studies, two qualitative studies, and one observational study). Five major overarching themes were identified specifically (1) telework and mental health (2) telework and physical health (3) worker benefits (4) gender dynamics and (5) difficulty navigating the teleworking environment. While remote work offers flexibility in terms of saved commute time and flexible work schedules, it also exacerbates challenges related to presenteeism, absenteeism, and work-life balance. These challenges include experiencing psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain, difficulties concentrating at work for both women and working parents, struggles disconnecting after hours, and the inability to delineate between the work and home environment.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has both positive and negative implications for worker well-being and productivity. However, future research needs to incorporate the potential effects of telework frequency (full time vs. part time) on employee productivity and its role on presenteeism and absenteeism, to gain a more comprehensive understanding on remote work difficulties. Addressing these challenges requires proactive interventions and support mechanisms to promote worker health and productivity in remote settings.

The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organisational outcomes

BACKGROUND

Line manager (LM) training in mental health is gaining recognition as an effective method for improving the mental health and wellbeing of workers. However, research predominantly focuses on the impacts of training at the employee-level, often neglecting the broader organisational-level outcomes. Most studies derive insights from LMs using self-reported data, with very few studies examining impacts on organisational-level outcomes.

AIM

To explore the relationship between LM training in mental health and organisational-level outcomes using company-level data from a diverse range of organisations.

METHODS

This study is a secondary analysis of anonymised panel survey data from firms in England, with data derived from computer-assisted telephone surveys over four waves (2020, 1899 firms; 2021, 1551; 2022, 1904; and 2023, 1902). The analysis merged the four datasets to control for temporal variations. Probit regression was conducted including controls for age of organisation, sector, size, and wave to isolate specific relationships of interest.

RESULTS

We found that LM training in mental health is significantly associated with several organisational-level outcomes, including: improved staff recruitment (β = .317, p < .001) and retention (β = .453, p < .001), customer service (β = .453, p < .001), business performance (β = .349, p < .001), and lower long-term sickness absence due to mental ill-health (β = -.132, p < .05).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to explore the organisational-level outcomes of LM training in mental health in a large sample of organisations of different types, sizes, and sectors. Training LM in mental health is directly related to diverse aspects of an organisations' functioning and, therefore, has strategic business value for organisations. This knowledge has international relevance for policy and practice in workforce health and business performance.

Long-Term Efficacy of a Mobile Mental Wellness Program: Prospective Single-Arm Study

BACKGROUND

Rising rates of psychological distress (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress) among adults in the United States necessitate effective mental wellness interventions. Despite the prevalence of smartphone app-based programs, research on their efficacy is limited, with only 14% showing clinically validated evidence. Our study evaluates Noom Mood, a commercially available smartphone-based app that uses cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based programming. In this study, we address gaps in the existing literature by examining postintervention outcomes and the broader impact on mental wellness.

OBJECTIVE

Noom Mood is a smartphone-based mental wellness program designed to be used by the general population. This prospective study evaluates the efficacy and postintervention outcomes of Noom Mood. We aim to address the rising psychological distress among adults in the United States.

METHODS

A 1-arm study design was used, with participants having access to the Noom Mood program for 16 weeks (N=273). Surveys were conducted at baseline, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, and week 32 (16 weeks' postprogram follow-up). This study assessed a range of mental health outcomes, including anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, well-being, quality of life, coping, emotion regulation, sleep, and workplace productivity (absenteeism or presenteeism).

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 40.5 (SD 11.7) years. Statistically significant improvements in anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress were observed by week 4 and maintained through the 16-week intervention and the 32-week follow-up. The largest changes were observed in the first 4 weeks (29% lower, 25% lower, and 15% lower for anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress, respectively), and only small improvements were observed afterward. Reductions in clinically relevant anxiety (7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale) and depression (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale) criteria were also maintained from program initiation through the 16-week intervention and the 32-week follow-up. Work productivity also showed statistically significant results, with participants gaining 2.57 productive work days from baseline at 16 weeks, and remaining relatively stable (2.23 productive work days gained) at follow-up (32 weeks). Additionally, effects across all coping, sleep disturbance (23% lower at 32 weeks), and emotion dysregulation variables exhibited positive and significant trends at all time points (15% higher, 23% lower, and 25% higher respectively at 32 weeks).

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes insights into the promising positive impact of Noom Mood on mental health and well-being outcomes, extending beyond the intervention phase. Though more rigorous studies are necessary to understand the mechanism of action at play, this exploratory study addresses critical gaps in the literature, highlighting the potential of smartphone-based mental wellness programs to lessen barriers to mental health support and improve diverse dimensions of well-being. Future research should explore the scalability, feasibility, and long-term adherence of such interventions across diverse populations.

COVID-19 and worker mental distress

BACKGROUND

This analysis posits that COVID-19-related worker mental distress may be different for those continuously employed and for those who faced temporary job loss.

METHODS

Mental distress during COVID-19 is characterized using two nationally representative surveys, the American Trend Panel (ATP) and the Household Pulse Survey (HPS). Using a probit model, we examine workplace perceptions for the mentally distressed in the ATP sample. We use graphical analysis to identify barriers to seeking mental healthcare using the 2021-22 HPS sample.

RESULTS

In October 2020, the probability of mental distress increased between 7.1 and 9.1 percentage points in response to worsening work-life balance, lowered job security, lowered work productivity and lowered work satisfaction. Workers' perception of advancement denial and poor connectivity with coworkers increased the probability of mental distress by 3.0-5.8 percentage points. In October 2021, over 40% of workers who had experienced job loss reported mental distress as compared to 20% of those with jobs. Only 25% of those with mental distress sought counseling. These high levels of mental distress continued into October 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

Mitigation strategies for worker mental health should include prosocial nudges, attention to employment history, managerial sensitivity and worker resilience training.

Work-related musculoskeletal complaints: risk factors and impact on work productivity among university administrative employees

BACKGROUND

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a significant workplace problem leading to loss of productivity and disability. Administrative workers perform computer-based tasks for long periods. Consequently, they are at risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of this study was to explore the frequency and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal complaints and their impact on work productivity among administrative employees of Suez Canal University, Egypt.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 administrative employees through simple random sampling. Data were collected by an interview questionnaire including sociodemographic, work-related data, ergonomic and psychological risk factors, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ).

RESULTS

The frequency of work-related musculoskeletal complaints in at least one anatomical region over the past year was 74.7%. Neck (47.1%), lower back (40.7%), and shoulder (36.3%) were the most reported sites of complaints. Risk factors significantly associated with work-related musculoskeletal complaints were gender, age, physical activity, work experience, workplace stress, sustained body position, awkward posture, and inadequate rest breaks. Logistic regression revealed that older age (OR = 1.039, p = 0.023), being female (OR = 2.175, p = 0.011), and not having adequate rest breaks (OR = 1.979, p = 0.019) were significant predictors for the occurrence of WMSDs. The risk factors of absenteeism include gender, age, marital status, educational level, physical activity, BMI, work experience, and musculoskeletal complaints.

CONCLUSION

Musculoskeletal problems were highly prevalent among administrative employees. Being female and not having adequate rest breaks were significant predictors for the occurrence of WMSDs. Ergonomic interventions and improvement of working conditions are recommended to reduce WMSDs.

The Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Depression: A Scoping Review

Objectives

Work-related stress is highly prevalent. Recent systematic reviews concluded on a significant association between common work-related stress measures and depression. Our scoping review aims to explore whether work-related psychosocial stress is generally associated with depression or depressiveness, the extent and methodology of the primary research undertaken on this topic and to elucidate inconsistencies or gaps in knowledge.

Methods

We searched for literature in Pubmed, PsycInfo and Web of Science including full reports in seven languages published between 1999 and 2022 and applied the PRISMA statement for scoping reviews criteria.

Results

Of 463 primarily identified articles, 125 were retained after abstract and full-text screening. The majority report significant associations between work-related stress and depression. Cross-sectional studies are most prevalent. Sufficient evidence exists only for job strain and effort-reward imbalance. Most studies are from Asia, North America and Europe. The health sector is the most studied. Several research gaps such as the lack of interventional studies were identified.

Conclusion

The consistency of most studies on the significant association between work-related stress and depression is remarkable. More studies are needed to improve evidence and to close research gaps.

The impact of health on labour market outcomes: A rapid systematic review

The relationship between an individual's health and their labour market outcomes has long been a subject of health economics research. This review aims to provide an up-to-date, global review of the substantive findings in the existing literature. We pay particular attention to causal effects, acknowledging the methodological complexities that have long challenged the research and emphasizing the importance of overcoming them to present robust, policy-relevant evidence. The recent literature shows a notable advancement in addressing these methodological issues compared to previous work. The evidence reviewed suggests that individuals with better health overwhelmingly exhibit higher earnings and often enhanced labour supply. These findings extend beyond geographical boundaries, as evidence from diverse regions underscores the global significance of this association. The review covers evidence from a wide range of health indicators and conditions - including e.g. self-reported health, chronic diseases, disability, nutritional health, infections, mental health, addictions and others. Within and across the different health domains, the health-related factors exert varying degrees of influence on labour market outcomes, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the health-labour relationship and its potentially profound implications for individuals, communities, and economies.

The Effects of Job Stress on Burnout and Turnover Intention: The Moderating Effects of Job Security and Financial Dependency

(1) Background: The hospitality industry is known for exposing employees to work stress, which can lead to work-related burnout and high turnover rates. This study aims to examine the relationships between work stress, work-related burnout, and turnover intention. It also explores the mediating role of work-related burnout and the moderating role of job security and financial dependence. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 494 hotel employees working in five-star hotels in Belek and Manavgat, Türkiye, using a moderated mediation research model. The study found that work stress increases work-related burnout, which in turn increases turnover intention. Additionally, work-related burnout was found to mediate the relationship between work stress and turnover intention. Furthermore, it was found that perceived job security moderates the relationship between work stress levels and work-related burnout. Additionally, the variable of financial dependence was found to moderate the relationship between employees' levels of work-related burnout and their turnover intentions. Similarly, the study found that the financial dependence variable moderates the effect of work-related burnout on employees' turnover intention. Additionally, the study found that employees' perception of job security moderates the impact of work stress on work-related burnout. In conclusion, the study suggests that positive perceptions of job security can mitigate the impact of work stress on work-related burnout. Similarly, the impact of work-related burnout on turnover intention diminishes as the degree of financial dependence rises.

Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Work Absenteeism: Work Meaningfulness as a Double-Edged Sword

The adverse impacts of childhood maltreatment (CM) on an individual's health and economic welfare are widely recognized, yet its occupational and organizational effects remain less explored. Employee absenteeism, known as absenteeism, is often a sign of workplace maladjustment and may be linked to a history of CM. Some individuals in the helping professions, who exhibit a strong sense of purpose in their employment and pursue it in demanding environments, are CM survivors. This study investigates whether a heightened sense of meaningfulness in their work is associated with increased absenteeism among this subgroup. We recruited 320 helping professionals from a variety of social and mental health settings, one third of whom reported experiencing CM. As hypothesized, CM was positively correlated with work absenteeism. Furthermore, the relationship between work meaningfulness and absenteeism was moderated by their CM history: among those with CM experiences, greater work meaningfulness was associated with higher absenteeism rates. Our findings highlight the possibility that work meaningfulness may operate as a double-edged sword, and the importance of better understanding the challenges that high-functioning survivors of CM face within organizational contexts.

Potential categories of employment stress among rural college students and their relationship to employment psychology

Background

Psychological problems related to employment are among the most common psychological problems faced by rural college students. Employment stress is an important factor affecting the development of psychological health in employees; thus, reducing employment stress can improve the psychological state of employment.

Objective

This study aimed to understand the potential profiles of employment stress among rural college students to determine the relationship between different profiles and employment psychology.

Methods

This study was conducted in a higher education institution in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China between June and December 2023, and 249 rural college students participated. The Employment Stress Scale and Employment Psychology Scale were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using latent profile analysis, independent sample t-tests, and binary logistic regression analysis.

Results

The results showed that rural university students were categorized into low-level (49.80%) and high-level (50.21%) employment stress groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the employment psychology of rural college students in the low- and high-level groups (p < 0.001). Juniors/seniors were more likely to be classified in the high-level group (OR = 0.477, p = 0.011).

Conclusion

Intervention programs should be developed and implemented to address the characteristics of employment stress among rural college students with different profiles to promote the healthy development of their attitudes toward employment.

Assessing the effect of cardiovascular disease on work productivity and financial loss among school teachers in Peninsular Malaysia: a nested case-control study

Background

School teachers may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), potentially affecting their work productivity. However, limited data exists on the impact of CVD on teachers' productivity in Malaysia. Our objectives were to assess work productivity loss (absenteeism and presenteeism) as well as to determine the associated annual monetary loss among school teachers who experienced incident CVD in Peninsular Malaysia.

Methods

We adopted a nested case-control design within a cohort of school teachers. Working teachers from six states of Peninsular Malaysia, and had experienced incident CVD before a right-censored date (31st December 2021) were defined as cases. Incident CVD was operationally defined as the development of non-fatal acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stroke, congestive cardiac failure, deep vein thrombosis or peripheral arterial disease before the censored date. Controls were working teachers who did not acquire an incident CVD before the similar right-censored date. All controls were randomly selected, with a ratio of one case to four controls, from among the working teachers in one of the states in Peninsular Malaysia. We used a shortened version of the Malay-validated World Health Organization-Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) to estimate the workplace productivity effect among teachers with incident CVD (cases). The same questionnaire was distributed to teachers in a single state of Peninsular Malaysia who did not experience incident CVD (controls). Absenteeism, presenteeism and annual monetary loss were computed based on the scoring rules in the WHO-HPQ. Analysis of covariance was performed with covariate adjustment using propensity scores. The bootstrapping method was applied to obtain better estimates of marginal mean differences, along with standard errors (SE) and appropriate effect sizes.

Results

We recruited 48 cases (baseline mean age = 42.4 years old, 54.2% females) and 192 randomly selected controls (baseline mean age = 36.2 years old, 99.0% females). The majority of the cases had ACS (73.9%). No significant difference was observed in absenteeism between cases and controls. The mean self-rated job performance score was lower for cases (7.63, SE = 0.21) compared to controls (8.60, SE = 0.10). Marginal mean scores of absolute presenteeism among cases (76.30) were lower (p < 0.05, eta squared = 0.075) than controls (85.97). The marginal mean annual cost of presenteeism was higher in cases (MYR 21,237.52) compared to controls (MYR 12,089.74) (p < 0.05, eta squared = 0.082).

Conclusion

Absolute presenteeism was lower among school teachers who experienced incident CVD and the annual cost of presenteeism was substantial. Implementing supportive work strategies in school settings is recommended to increase absolute presenteeism, which can lead to a reduction in the annual cost of presenteeism among teachers experiencing incident CVD.

Factors associated with work ability among employees of an Italian university hospital

BACKGROUND

A growing body of evidence clearly documents the benefits of integrated systems approaches to protecting and promoting the safety, health and well-being of workers. The purpose of this study is to provide a holistic view of the work ability of employees of an Italian University Hospital measuring their resources in relation to job demands. In particular, it examines socio-demographics, family and organizational antecedents of health professionals' work ability.

METHODS

A survey was conducted to assess the work ability of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses and administrative staff, working at the University Hospital of Modena (Italy). The data collection allows us to get a sample of 443 workers, who correspond to 11% of the target population. The data were analyzed using preliminary statistics on the main characteristics of the sample in terms of work ability, socio-demographic variables, family and organizational characteristics. In addition, logit models of the likelihood of having high work ability were estimated using SPSS version 25.

RESULTS

Work ability decreases with increasing age, comorbidity, high body mass index, having at least one child under 5 and/or a dependent adult, having a poor work-life balance, and doing more than 20 h of housework. Specific job resources can significantly promote work ability, including relationship-oriented leadership, autonomy in decision making and individuals' skill match. The nursing profession is associated with a low work ability. Finally, a significant gender gap has been documented. Women find it more difficult to reconcile life and work, especially when they have children of preschool age and work in professions with greater responsibilities, as in the case of women doctors, who experience lower work capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that it is necessary to consider other factors, in addition to age, that are equally relevant in influencing work ability. Consequently, organisational interventions could be implemented to improve the work ability of all workers. In addition, we propose targeted interventions for groups at risk of reduced work capacity, in particular older workers (45 years and over), nurses, women with children of preschool age and in the position of physician.

Association between reasons for employment and burnout tendencies among rehabilitation technology professionals

[Purpose] The deterioration in the psychological states of healthcare workers may impact the quality and quantity of medical care provided to patients, leading to unfavorable treatment outcomes. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relationship between reasons for employment and the mental health status of rehabilitation technology professionals in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire to gather relevant data. [Participants and Methods] Data from 112 rehabilitation technology professionals, including physical and occupational therapists as well as speech-language pathologists, were analyzed. Questionnaires were utilized to collect data on participant characteristics, reasons for employment, virtual competence, self-esteem, burnout levels, self-compassion responses, subjective health assessments, and feelings of isolation. [Results] Multiple regression analysis indicated that the regression coefficients of the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, the World Health Organization-five well-being index, the virtual ability scale, the self-esteem scale, and the reasons for employment scale scores were -0.168, -0.191, -0.273, -0.197, and -0.329, respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling was used to verify the goodness-of-fit indices. The burnout scale scores exhibited a satisfactory fit with the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, the World Health Organization-five well-being index, the virtual ability scale, the self-esteem scale, and the reasons for employment, as indicated by all goodness-of-fit indices. [Conclusion] This study revealed a significant association between the reason for employment and burnout tendency, which was found to be the strongest. Therefore, it is important to know the reason for employment to ascertain burnout tendencies. Conversely, as associations were also found for several adjustment variables, it is necessary to consider not only the reasons for employment but also other factors when assessing burnout tendencies.

Re-visiting the six-item Stanford presenteeism scale (SPS-6) and its psychometric properties

Presenteeism has often been considered as the correlate of absenteeism and associated to productivity loss. This study sought to re-examine the psychometric properties of the 6-item Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6), a popular measure which has been translated in a number of languages. The study adopted a cross-sectional design with 268 participants aged 18 - 65 working in a multinational IT company with headquarters based in Poland. The respondents participated willingly in an online questionnaire on a presenteeism health-related productivity measure (SPS-6), job resources (peer support), job demands (work-to-family conflict), engagement and burnout. Their responses were subjected to statistical analyses. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that the SPS-6 is better represented by two singular and independent components, namely completing work and avoiding distractions, rather than an aggregated measure of health-related productivity. In fact, the aggregated measure had convergent and discriminant validity issues. We also assessed, via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the explanatory role of the SPS-6 within the wider well-being discourse by subjecting its' factors as outcomes using the JD-R framework. Here, burnout was better at explaining its relationship to avoiding distractions and completing work compared to engagement, while avoiding distractions was more dominant than completing work in explaining indirect pathways. Given the convergent and discriminant validity of its two-dimensional measures, we argue that the SPS-6 is a better assessment of health-related productivity in the light of presenteeism when keeping both components separate rather than adding the scores from both dimensions to provide a global score as has been the practice so far. In addition, the SEM findings suggest that both SPS-6 components may require different theoretical explanations. This study supports a growing chorus of scholars who argue the need to look deeper into the presenteeism phenomenon, not least its measures.

Modelling the significance of organizational conditions on quiet quitting intention among Gen Z workforce in an emerging economy

The phenomenon of "quiet quitting" has gained significant attention globally through various platforms, raising concerns about the impact of workplace stress on individuals' personal lives and sparking social movements and investigations. As the number of Generation Z individuals is projected to surpass millennials by 2050, understanding and addressing the quiet quitting behaviour of this generation becomes crucial, considering their negative experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their preference for a work-life balance, which has led to a rejection of intense competition and a desire for a more relaxed lifestyle. Thus, this study investigated the factors (work conditions, job security, perceived career development opportunities, affective organizational commitment, and perceived organizational support on job burnout and employee well-being) determining the quiet quitting intention among Chinese Gen Z employees. It used an online survey to obtain cross-sectional data from 683 respondents, which were then tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results showed that work conditions, job security, perceived career progression opportunities, affective organizational commitment, and perceived organizational support had a significant positive effect on employee well-being and that job burnout had a major negative effect. Furthermore, employee well-being had a significant negative impact on China's Gen Z employees' quit quiting decision and job burnout had a significant positive influence on China's Gen Z employees' quit quiting decision. The findings provide valuable insights for organizations and practitioners, enabling them to address these factors and effectively reduce quiet quitting intentions. Moreover, this study aligns with the Social Exchange Theory (SET), which explains how the interactions between employees and their organizations influence expectations and outcomes. By considering the SET framework, organizations can understand the motivations behind employees' behaviours and make informed decisions to foster a positive work environment and enhance employee well-being.

Presenteeism and mental health of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

Background

A large number of workers attend work despite being ill. Attending work during sickness can have a number of consequences for the worker (e.g., worsening of physical and mental condition), for co-workers, and for the company, and for service users.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the factors influencing presenteeism and mental health of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A systematic review following the PRISMA format was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycInfo, and ScienceDirect electronic databases in January 2023, using the following key words: Presenteeism, Mental Health, and COVID-19. The eligibility criteria applied were original articles published in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese, workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (data collection date: January 01, 2020 - January 01, 2023), and articles assessing at least one measure of presenteeism and mental health status. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The followed protocol is listed in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with code CRD42023391409.

Results

A total of 25 studies were included in this review recruiting a total of 164,274 participants. A number of factors influencing mental health and sickness presenteeism were identified: (1) mental health-related factors (burnout [in 4 studies], stress [in 9 studies], depression [in 1 study], fear of COVID-19 [in 1 study], no well-being [in 2 studies], etc.); (2) individual factors (health status [in 1 study], being young [in 1 study], workers who experienced interrupted medical care [in 2 studies], having a chronic disease [in 1 study], etc.); (3) factors related to the situation caused by COVID-19 (confinement, symptoms, loss of contract, risk of bankruptcy, etc. [in 1 study each one]); and (4) factors derived from working conditions (organisational support [in 1 study], patient care [in 1 study], work functioning or task performance impairment [in 4 studies], work fatigue [in 2 studies], safety climate [in 1 study], workload [in 1 study], etc.).

Conclusion

Identifying the key determinants of presenteeism and understanding the phenomena and origins of sickness presenteeism will help to create a safe working environment and optimal organisational systems to protect vulnerable workers in a pandemic context.

Systematic review registration

The unique identifier is CRD42023391409.

The Norwegian version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III): Initial validation study using a national sample of registered nurses

BACKGROUND

Employers are legally obligated to ensure the safety and health of employees, including the organizational and psychosocial working environment. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) covers multiple dimensions of the work environment. COPSOQ III has three parts: a) work environment b) conflicts and offensive behaviours and c) health and welfare. We translated all three parts into Norwegian and evaluated the statistical properties of the 28 work environment dimensions in part a), using a sample of registered nurses.

METHODS

The original English version was translated into Norwegian and back translated into English; the two versions were compared, and adjustments made. In total, 86 of 99 items from the translated version were included in a survey to which 8804 registered nurses responded. Item response theory models designed for ordinal manifest variables were used to evaluate construct validity and identify potential redundant items. A standard confirmatory factor analysis was performed to verify the latent dimensionality established in the original version, and a more exploratory factor analysis without restrictions is included to determine dependency between items and to identify separable dimensions.

RESULTS

The measure of sampling adequacy shows that the data are well suited for factor analyses. The latent dimensionality in the original version is confirmed in the Norwegian translated version and the scale reliability is high for all dimensions except 'Demands for Hiding Emotions'. In this homogenous sample, eight of the 28 dimensions are found not to be separate dimensions as items covering these dimensions loaded onto the same factor. Moreover, little information is provided at the low and high ends of exposure for some dimensions in this sample. Of the 86 items included, 14 are found to be potential candidates for removal to obtain a shorter Norwegian version.

CONCLUSION

The established Norwegian translation of COPSOQ III can be used in further research about working environment factors and health and wellbeing in Norway. The extended use of the instrument internationally enables comparative studies, which can increase the knowledge and understanding of similarities and differences between labour markets in different countries. This first validation study shows that the Norwegian version has strong statistical properties like the original, and can be used to assess work environment factors, including relational and emotional risk factors and resources available at the workplace.

Does meaningful work mediate the relationship between empowering leadership and mental health? Evidence from Malaysian SME employees

Introduction

In Malaysia, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for more than half of all employment and 98.7% of all businesses. There is little research on empowering behaviors in SMEs, despite leadership empowerment being often practiced. Therefore, the study aims to investigate how empowering leadership affects employees' mental health. The study also reveals meaningful work's role in mediating the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' mental health.

Methods

A stratified random sample approach was used to collect data from 516 employees of Malaysian SMEs. The data was analyzed, and the hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling (AMOS 21.0) with bootstrap confidence intervals computed to evaluate the mediating effect.

Results

The results demonstrate that empowering leadership significantly improves employees' mental health. Furthermore, the association between empowering leadership and mental health is partially mediated by meaningful work.

Discussion

This study contributes to the present empowering leadership-meaningful work-mental health model for SME employees, which reduces stress and anxiety at the workplace and positively impacts psychological empowerment and their capacity to control their overall emotions in instances of success.

Musculoskeletal pain in health professionals at the end of their studies and 1 year after entry into the profession: a multi-center longitudinal questionnaire study from Switzerland

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal pain, especially back pain, is common among health care professionals (HP). For prevention purposes, it is important to know whether HP develop their symptoms before or after entering the health care workforce. Cross-sectional studies among HP cannot answer this question. This follow-up study measures the prevalence and individual course of musculoskeletal pain among full-time HP students at the end of their studies and one year after entering the health care workforce.

METHOD

Self-reported one-year prevalence for low back pain, neck/shoulder pain, pain in arms/hands, and pain in legs/feet was collected at two timepoints from 1046 participating HP using an online questionnaire. Participants were asked whether their musculoskeletal pain was related to study or work conditions. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models of the binomial family with log link were used to estimate adjusted prevalence and corresponding normal based 95% confidence intervals were derived using the bootstrap method with 1000 replications.

RESULTS

The prevalence of low back pain as well as neck and shoulder pain was very high at baseline and follow-up in all full-time students and later HP. Prevalence for pain in arms/hands, legs/feet was low and there were significant differences between the professions. HP clearly associated their low back pain and neck/shoulder pain with study and work conditions; HP strongly associated pain in arms/hands, legs/feet only with work conditions.

CONCLUSION

Many HP suffer from back/neck/shoulder pain already as students before starting their professional career. The prevention of back/neck/shoulder pain must be part of the education of all health professions at universities. As an example of best practice, universities should incorporate ergonomic measures and exercises into the daily routine of training health professionals. The effects of physically demanding professional tasks on the upper and lower extremities need to be investigated in further studies to take preventive measures.

A Multi-component Intervention (NEXpro) Reduces Neck Pain-Related Work Productivity Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial Among Swiss Office Workers

Purpose Neck pain is common among office workers and leads to work productivity loss. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss among Swiss office workers. Methods Office workers, aged 18-65 years, and without serious neck-related health problems were recruited from two organisations for our stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. The 12-week multi-component intervention included neck exercises, health-promotion information, and workplace ergonomics. The primary outcome of neck pain-related work productivity loss was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire and expressed as percentages of working time. In addition, we reported the weekly monetary value of neck pain-related work productivity loss. Data was analysed on an intention-to-treat basis using a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Results Data from 120 participants were analysed with 517 observations. At baseline, the mean age was 43.7 years (SD 9.8 years), 71.7% of participants were female (N = 86), about 80% (N = 95) reported mild to moderate neck pain, and neck pain-related work productivity loss was 12% of working time (absenteeism: 1.2%, presenteeism: 10.8%). We found an effect of our multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss, with a marginal predicted mean reduction of 2.8 percentage points (b = -0.27; 95% CI: -0.54 to -0.001, p = 0.049). Weekly saved costs were Swiss Francs 27.40 per participant. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention to reduce neck pain-related work productivity loss with implications for employers, employees, and policy makers.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646 .

Biomechanical Assessments of the Upper Limb for Determining Fatigue, Strain and Effort from the Laboratory to the Industrial Working Place: A Systematic Review

Recent human-centered developments in the industrial field (Industry 5.0) lead companies and stakeholders to ensure the wellbeing of their workers with assessments of upper limb performance in the workplace, with the aim of reducing work-related diseases and improving awareness of the physical status of workers, by assessing motor performance, fatigue, strain and effort. Such approaches are usually developed in laboratories and only at times they are translated to on-field applications; few studies summarized common practices for the assessments. Therefore, our aim is to review the current state-of-the-art approaches used for the assessment of fatigue, strain and effort in working scenarios and to analyze in detail the differences between studies that take place in the laboratory and in the workplace, in order to give insights on future trends and directions. A systematic review of the studies aimed at evaluating the motor performance, fatigue, strain and effort of the upper limb targeting working scenarios is presented. A total of 1375 articles were found in scientific databases and 288 were analyzed. About half of the scientific articles are focused on laboratory pilot studies investigating effort and fatigue in laboratories, while the other half are set in working places. Our results showed that assessing upper limb biomechanics is quite common in the field, but it is mostly performed with instrumental assessments in laboratory studies, while questionnaires and scales are preferred in working places. Future directions may be oriented towards multi-domain approaches able to exploit the potential of combined analyses, exploitation of instrumental approaches in workplace, targeting a wider range of people and implementing more structured trials to translate pilot studies to real practice.

Psychosocial and behavioral outcomes in the adult workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 1-Year longitudinal survey

BACKGROUND

Efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 have included public space closures, mask usage, and quarantining. Studies regarding the impact of these measures on the psychosocial and behavioral health outcomes of the workforce have focused frequently on healthcare employees. To expand the literature base, we deployed a one-year longitudinal survey among mostly non-healthcare employees assessing changes in select psychosocial outcomes, health behaviors, and COVID-19-related transmission prevention behaviors and perceptions.

METHODS

We deployed the CAPTURE baseline survey across eight companies from November 20, 2020-February 8, 2021. The baseline survey included questions on psychosocial outcomes, health behaviors, and COVID-19 transmission prevention behaviors, with several questions containing a retrospective component to cover the time period prior to the pandemic. Additional questions on vaccination status and social support were subsequently added, and the updated survey deployed to the same baseline participants at three, six, and 12 months after baseline survey deployment. We analyzed data descriptively and performed Friedman's and subsequent Wilcoxon-signed rank tests, as appropriate, to compare data within and between time points.

RESULTS

A total of 3607, 1788, 1545, and 1687 employees completed the baseline, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month CAPTURE surveys, respectively, with 816 employees completing all four time points. Employees reported higher stress, anxiety, fatigue, and feelings of being unsafe across all time points compared to pre-pandemic. Time spent sleeping increased initially but returned to pre-pandemic levels at follow-up. Lower rates of physical activity and higher rates of non-work screen time and alcohol consumption relative to pre-pandemic were also reported. Over 90% of employees perceived wearing a mask, physical distancing, and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as 'moderately' or 'very important' in preventing the spread of COVID-19 across all time points.

CONCLUSIONS

Relative to pre-pandemic, poorer psychosocial outcomes and worsened health behaviors were observed across all time points, with values worse at the baseline and 12-month time points when COVID-19 surges were highest. While COVID-19 prevention behaviors were consistently deemed to be important by employees, the psychosocial outcome and health behavior data suggest the potential for harmful long-term effects of the pandemic on the well-being of non-healthcare employees.

Effectiveness of a transactional model-based education programme for enhancing stress-coping skills in industrial workers: a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a stress management educational intervention programme based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) among industrial workers. Participants were 106 employees of a power plant in Iran, randomly assigned into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention comprised active and participatory methods to enhance employees coping skills and it was delivered in six face-to-face sessions. Data was collected using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale at baseline and three months after the intervention. We found mean scores of distancing, self-controlling, seeking social support, escape-avoidance, planned problem-solving, positive reappraisal, total coping skills, perceived social support, and spiritual well-being significantly differed at follow-up compared to baseline in the intervention group, but not in the control group. There was also a significant difference in the mean score of perceived stress between the two groups. We conclude that the educational intervention based on the TMSC was effective in improving coping skills and reducing perceived stress. We suggest that interventions based on the TMSC model can be supportive in workplaces where job stress is common.

Partially different? The importance of general equilibrium in health economic evaluations: An application to nocturia

Both the human capital approach and the friction cost approach are frequently used to quantify the productivity costs associated with illness, disability or death in health economic evaluations. In this paper we argue that these approaches have one major, but common shortcoming: they only capture partial equilibrium (PE) effects and therefore underestimate the true potential productivity costs associated with health conditions. They neglect the sizable, indirect, ripple effects in the economy captured by general equilibrium (GE) models. To demonstrate our point, we compare a traditional PE with a GE approach for the application to nocturia, a condition characterized by the need to frequently wake up at night to urinate. Nocturia is associated with substantial impairment of daytime functioning and work productivity. We employ large-scale United Kingdom (UK) employer-employee survey data to estimate the prevalence and productivity loss. These estimates are then used as shared inputs to drive both approaches. We find that the traditional PE approach underestimates the annual productivity cost of clinically relevant nocturia by around 16%. We propose a generalized GE/PE multiplier to approximate the GE effect for other health conditions. Our findings stress the importance of accounting for sizable GE effects when conducting health economic evaluations.

Promoting Physical Activity among Working Women: The Influence of Perceived Policy Effectiveness and Health Awareness

In recent years, patients with chronic diseases have shown a younger trend due to physical inactivity and irregular lifestyles. Accordingly, the Chinese government has implemented the "National Fitness Program", which aims to enhance people's health by popularizing exercise and a healthy lifestyle. However, women are less physically active than men, and how to appeal to women to devote themselves to fitness activities has become a social concern. Based on the expanded theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study explores the impact of the perceived policy effectiveness and health awareness on physical activity among working women. This study adopted a repeated cross-sectional study method, and each respondent was asked to complete a two-stage survey. The structural model of the extended TPB was tested using sample data from 376 working women in Changsha, China. The results show that perceived policy effectiveness and health awareness positively affect actual behavioral control and implementation intention. Among them, perceived policy effectiveness has the most significant impact on implementation intention, followed by health awareness. Furthermore, actual behavioral control and implementation intention mediate the relationship between perceived policy effectiveness/health awareness and physical activity. The findings suggest that to promote physical activity among working women, the Chinese government should deepen the implementation of the "National Fitness Program" and raise the public's health awareness.

Flow experience and city identity in the restorative environment: A conceptual model and nature-based intervention

Within environmental psychology, the restorative environment is receiving increasing attention due to its favorable impact on people's mental recovery, stress reduction, and psychophysiological well-being. Flow theory, as one of the foundations of positive psychology, is a popular theoretical framework for understanding human flourishing and well-being. The restorative environment is suggested to facilitate flow experience and city identity from the perspective of positive environmental psychology. Nonetheless, systematic research investigating them all together can hardly be traced. Thus, through a preliminary review of 169 relevant studies retrieved from the data source, this work proposes a novel theoretical model in which people's interactions within the restorative environment facilitate their experience of flow and perceived city identity. Additionally, this research provides conceptual guidance for city workers to engage in nature-based intervention and leisure therapy for improved well-being. Overall, this review endeavors to contribute to developing urban workers' restoration, happiness, and well-being from both practical and theoretical perspectives.

The impact of COVID-19 on relative health outcomes among healthcare workers in Canada

Although the COVID-19 pandemic increased stress and anxiety for most people, frontline workers have been particularly vulnerable. This article focuses on doctors and nurses and analyzes their perceived mental and life stress relative to allied healthcare workers. The study uses data from Statistics Canada's crowdsource initiative, analyzed within a multinomial logistic regression framework. Results point to increased stress among these workers. More specifically, results suggest that compared with pre-COVID-19, mental stress increased for doctors. In contrast, although mental stress did not increase for nurses, it remained poor, similar to that experienced pre-COVID-19.

Antecedents of Nurse Burnout During a Pandemic: Managerial Way Out

The aim of this research is to uncover whether nurses’ fear of contracting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in stress-related presenteeism and burnout, and whether perceived organisational support is effective in dealing with both nurses’ fear of contracting COVID-19 and its undesired consequences. For this purpose, a cross-sectional and descriptive research has been conducted. The data are collected from 513 nurses working in Ankara, Turkey, through a questionnaire survey. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance test and partial least squares structural equation modelling technique are employed to analyse the data. Findings indicate that nurses fear infection and experience stress-related presenteeism and burnout considerably. However, they perceive slightly inadequate level of organisational support. Fear of infection has resulted in stress-related presenteeism and burnout. Stress-related presenteeism has mediated the relationship between fear of infection and burnout. Perceived organisational support has negatively related to fear of infection and its negative consequences. In this research, to our knowledge, for the first time, the burnout, stress-related presenteeism, fear of infection and perceived organisational support levels of nurses are compared according to the pandemic-related criteria. Besides, the mediating role of nurses’ stress-related presenteeism between their fear of contracting COVID-19 and burnout is discovered.

Validation of the work stress screener (WOSS-13) and resilience at work scale (ReWoS-24)

OBJECTIVE

Work stress is a global issue with countries such as the UK requiring organisations to protect employees. Work stress can be beneficial (challenging) or harmful (overwhelming), and characteristics such as resilience are thought to mitigate some of the negative effects. This paper describes the validation of two new scales. The WOSS-13 was designed to measure both benign and harmful experiences of work stress, while the ReWoS-24 captures information about individual and team resilience.

METHODS

For both scales the assessment of individual items, domains captured by scale items, reliability and validity were completed using data from a survey of 1980 individuals from the University of York, England. A sub-sample of respondents (N = 609) provided additional data for retest purposes. Analyses were performed using these two samples.

RESULTS

Responses to scale items were found to be normally distributed. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the WOSS-13 was comprised of three subscales: positive work-related affect/stress, general positive affect and harmful stress. The ReWoS-24 is presented as four sub-scales: general well-being, well-being at work, satisfaction with job performance and team resilience. All subscales demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.80). Both scales complement existing measures of stress and mental health.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the WOSS-13 is a valid and reliable measure which enables the assessment of both benign and harmful forms of work stress. The ReWoS-24 is a valid and reliable measure of individual and team resilience. These scales could be used in workplaces to assess for and mitigate against, harmful work stress.

The mediating role of general and cognitive stress on the effect of an app-based intervention on productivity measures in workers: A randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND

Loss of productivity is a result of absence from work (absenteeism) or of working with limitations due to illness (presenteeism). Recently, occupational mental health interventions have increasingly been delivered in digital format, as this is thought to be more convenient, flexible, easily accessible, and anonymous. However, the effectiveness of electronic mental health (e-mental health) interventions in the workplace to improve presenteeism and absenteeism remains unknown, and could be potentially mediated by psychological variables such as stress levels.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an e-mental health intervention to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism in employees, as well as to investigate the mediating role of stress in this effect.

METHODS

Employees of six companies in two countries participated in a randomized controlled trial (n=210 in the intervention group and n=322 in the waitlist control group). Participants in the intervention group could use the Kelaa Mental Resilience app for 4 weeks. All participants were asked to complete assessments at baseline, during the intervention, postintervention, and at a 2-week follow-up. Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed by means of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health, while general and cognitive stress were assessed through the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-Revised Version. Regression and mediation analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of the Kelaa Mental Resilience app on presenteeism and absenteeism.

RESULTS

The intervention did not have a direct effect on presenteeism or absenteeism, neither at postintervention nor at follow-up. Nevertheless, general stress significantly mediated the intervention effect on presenteeism (P=.005) but not on absenteeism (P=.92), and cognitive stress mediated the effect of the intervention on both presenteeism (P<.001) and absenteeism (P=.02) right after the intervention. At the 2-week follow-up, the mediating effect of cognitive stress on presenteeism was significant (P=.04), although this was not the case for its mediating effect on absenteeism (P=.36). Additionally, at the 2-week follow-up, general stress did not mediate the intervention effect on presenteeism (P=.25) or on absenteeism (P=.72).

CONCLUSIONS

While no direct effect of the e-mental health intervention on productivity was found in this study, our findings suggest that stress reduction could mediate the effect of the intervention on presenteeism and absenteeism. As such, e-mental health interventions that address stress in employees might also indirectly reduce presenteeism and absenteeism in these employees. However, due to study limitations such as an overrepresentation of female participants in the sample and a high proportion of attrition, these results should be interpreted with caution. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of interventions on productivity in the workplace.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05924542; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05924542.

Work-Related Stress among a Cohort of Italian Long-Term Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Study

Despite long-term care (LTC) workers having been identified as particularly subject to chronic stress, only a few studies evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress in this population. As far as the authors know, no studies have investigated the relationship between work-related stress and chronic stress in the LTC setting. This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the level of chronic stress in LTC workers, to identify some possible predictors and vulnerability factors, and to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work-related stress. The study was based on the information gathered from two different questionnaires administered before and one year after the beginning of the pandemic, to a cohort of Italian LTC workers. We found that chronic stress was associated with lower resilience to stress scores (57.42 vs. 60.66) and with higher work-related stress scores (30.48 vs. 20.83). Interestingly, the overall level of work-related stress did not differ between the two questionnaires (27.84 vs. 29.08). However, the main components of the questionnaires changed; fatigue and burnout symptoms became more relevant after the pandemic. Results of this study suggests deepening knowledge of the components of stress to develop and implement effective stress mitigation interventions.

Assessing the psychosocial work environment in the health care setting: translation and psychometric testing of the French and Italian Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaires (COPSOQ) in a large sample of health professionals in Switzerland

Background

Measuring work-related stress in a reliable way is important in the development of appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Especially in multilingual studies the use of comparable and reliable instruments is crucial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate selected scales and single items from the German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) into French and Italian and psychometrically test them in a sample of health professionals.

Methods

This study used cross-sectional data from health professionals at 163 randomised selected health organisations in Switzerland. Selected COPSOQ items/scales were backwards- and forwards- translated and cross-culturally adapted from German to French and Italian. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients, construct validity with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling as well as comparative fit index.

Results

Responses from 12,754 health professionals were included in the analysis. Of the overall 24 scales, 20 in the German version, 19 in the French version and 17 in the Italian version attained sufficient internal consistency with a threshold of 0.7 for Cronbach’s alpha. Predominantly high factor loadings on scale level are reported (> 0.35), as well as good and satisfactory fit values with RMSEA below 0.1, SRMR below 0.08 and CFI above 0.95. For 10 out of 15 scales, the test for factor invariance revealed a significant difference regarding the psychological constructs of the scales across the language versions.

Conclusions

The psychometric properties verify the underlying theoretical model of the COPSOQ questionnaire, which is to some extent comparable across the three language versions. Of the 10 scales with significant factor variance, four showed large differences, implying that revision is needed for better comparability. Potential cultural issues as well as regional differences may have led to the factor variance and the different reliability scores per scale across language versions. One known influencing factor for regional differences is culture, which should be considered in scale development. Moreover, emerging topics such as digitization should be considered in further development of the questionnaire.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07924-4.

The relationship between presenteeism, quality of life and social support in higher education professionals: A cross-sectional path analysis

Presenteeism is the practice of being present at workplace, but not being able to carry out all the tasks due to health problems. Social support globally associated with health and wellbeing might positively influence presenteeism and consequently, the quality of life of these professionals. With this in mind, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between presenteeism, quality of life and social support in the work of non-teaching and non-research professionals within the context of higher education. A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which sociodemographic data were collected and the Portuguese versions of the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6) (which includes the dimensions work-completed and distraction avoided) and Quality of Life Index (EUROSHIS-QOL-8) and the subscales of Supervisor’s Social Support and Peers’ Social Support of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) were used. The questionnaire was applied online, and 322 professionals from a public university higher education institution in Northern Portugal participated in the study. Presenteeism was reported by 97 (30.1%) professionals. The peers’ social support was positively associated with quality of life. The supervisor’s social support was positively associated with distraction avoided and work completed and positively indirectly associated with quality of life, and the association was mediated by distraction avoided. We conclude that implementing strategies that can promote social support in the work context, namely strengthening networks between colleagues and competent and well-trained supervisors may prevent or reduce presenteeism in higher education professionals, as well as, provide a better quality of life.

The effect of mental and physical health problems on sickness absence

Absenteeism is an important feature of the labour market, imposing significant costs on employers and the economy as a whole. This paper is the first to use a large labour force survey sample to investigate how different physical and mental health conditions affect absence rates among prime age workers in the UK. A pooled time series/cross-section analysis reveals that people with a chronic health condition are more likely to be absent from work, and mental health has a significantly larger effect than physical health. From a longitudinal perspective, we find that a change in mental health has an effect on absenteeism more than three times greater than a change in physical health. These findings imply that the prevention and alleviation of chronic health conditions, particularly common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety that are highly prevalent in prime age workers, will deliver significant benefits to the UK economy due to reduced absenteeism. Further, there is significant heterogeneity between different health conditions, with some having no effect at all on absenteeism having controlled for other factors.

The basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration scale at work: A validation in the Polish language

The aim of this research project was to validate the work-related version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) into the Polish language and culture. Although studies have demonstrated the benefits associated with basic psychological need satisfaction and the costs associated with need frustration at work, the concept of needs has been neglected both in Polish scientific research and in practical organizational studies. The adaptation of the BPNSFS-Work Domain may change this situation and stimulate research in the Polish community. The scale has been validated in a sample consisting of three occupational groups: healthcare workers, education staff and customer service workers (N = 1315, Mage = 43.8). The findings suggest that the Polish scale has robust psychometric features. The CFA analysis proves that the scale has a six-dimensional structure similar to the original scale. These dimensions show satisfactory to high Cronbach's α and McDonalds ω reliability, and high criterion validity is shown by association of the six need dimensions with correlates of both positive (i.e., engagement, job crafting and self-efficacy) and negative aspects of work (i.e., burnout and stress). The structure of the scale is the same in all three occupational groups, although the regression weights and covariances are only partially invariant. The validated version of the BPNSFS-Work Domain can be used in future basic and applied studies in the paradigm of self-determination theory.

Subjective cognitive impairment and presenteeism mediate the associations of rumination with subjective well-being and ill-being in Japanese adult workers from the community

Background

In recent years, the roles of rumination, subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), and presenteeism have been emphasized in occupational mental health. However, associations between rumination, SCI, presenteeism, and psychological well-being are not fully understood. We hypothesized that SCI and presenteeism mediate the associations between rumination and subjective well-being (SWB) and subjective ill-being (SIB). Hence, we investigated the mediating roles of SCI and presenteeism in this study.

Methods

A total of 458 adult workers (mean age, 40.8±11.9 years; 44.1% male), who were recruited in Tokyo using convenience sampling, were analyzed in this study. The Ruminative Responses Scale, Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment, Work Limitations Questionnaire 8, and Subjective Well-being Inventory were used to evaluate rumination, SCI, presenteeism, and psychological well-being (SWB and SIB), respectively. Path analyses were performed to evaluate the relations between these parameters.

Results

The path analysis indicated that rumination, SCI, and presenteeism were directly and negatively associated with SWB and SIB. Regarding indirect effects, rumination was negatively associated with SWB and SIB via SCI, presenteeism, and both SCI and presenteeism. Furthermore, SCI was negatively associated with SWB and SIB via presenteeism.

Conclusions

The results suggest that SCI and presenteeism mediate the associations of rumination with SWB and SIB in Japanese adult workers. To address the psychological well-being associated with rumination, evaluating SCI and presenteeism simultaneously may be useful in occupational mental health. This study provides key insights into the development of comprehensive intervention strategy based on the biopsychosocial perspective for worker’s psychological well-being.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13030-021-00218-x.

Predicting presenteeism using measures of health status

Objectives

To identify whether it is feasible to develop a mapping algorithm to predict presenteeism using multiattribute measures of health status.

Methods

Data were collected using a bespoke online survey in a purposive sample (n = 472) of working individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Survey respondents were recruited using an online panel company (ResearchNow). This study used data captured using two multiattribute measures of health status (EQ5D-5 level; SF6D) and a measure of presenteeism (WPAI, Work Productivity Activity Index). Statistical correlation between the WPAI and the two measures of health status (EQ5D-5 level; SF6D) was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Five regression models were estimated to quantify the relationship between WPAI and predict presenteeism using health status. The models were specified based in index and domain scores and included covariates (age; gender). Estimated and observed presenteeism were compared using tenfold cross-validation and evaluated using Root mean square error (RMSE).

Results

A strong and negative correlation was found between WPAI and: EQ5D-5 level and WPAI (r = − 0.64); SF6D (r =− 0.60). Two models, using ordinary least squares regression were identified as the best performing models specifying health status using: SF6D domains with age interacted with gender (RMSE = 1.7858); EQ5D-5 Level domains and age interacted with gender (RMSE = 1.7859).

Conclusions

This study provides indicative evidence that two existing measures of health status (SF6D and EQ5D-5L) have a quantifiable relationship with a measure of presenteeism (WPAI) for an exemplar application of working individuals with RA. A future study should assess the external validity of the proposed mapping algorithms.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02936-9.

Nurses' Occupational Stress and Presenteeism: The Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation and the Moderating Role of Health

Presenteeism not only poses an economic cost to organizations but also generates reduced work efficiency and quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between occupational stress, public service motivation (PSM), health, and presenteeism. A total of 981 nurses from 109 public hospitals in Jilin Province in China were enrolled in our study. Model 5 in the PROCESS micro was employed in order to verify the mediating effect of PSM and the moderating effect of nurses’ health on the relationship between occupational stress and presenteeism, and simple slope analysis was used to further determine the moderating effect. Both challenge stress and hindrance stress had a positive impact on presenteeism among nurses. PSM is a mediating variable between occupational stress and presenteeism. Health moderates the path between challenge stress and presenteeism, with the association being significant for nurses with low levels of health. Future policy making should focus on preventing presenteeism by reducing excessive stress, enhancing PSM, and improving nurse health and wellness.

The Compensatory Protective Effects of Social Support at Work in Presenteeism During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic

The present study investigated the lasting effects of sickness presenteeism on well-being and innovative job performance in the demanding Chinese work context compounded with the precarities of the post-pandemic business environment. Adopting the conservation of resources (COR) theory perspective, especially its proposition of compensation of resources, we incorporated social resources at work (supervisory support and collegial support) as joint moderators in the presenteeism–outcomes relationship. We employed a panel design in which all variables were measured twice with 6 months in between. Data were obtained from 323 Chinese employees working in diverse industries in Taiwan. We found that after controlling for the baseline level of well-being, presenteeism did not have a lasting effect on employees' exhaustion. However, presenteeism did have a negative lasting effect on employees' innovative behavior 6 months later. Moreover, we found a significant three-way interaction of presenteeism, supervisory support, and collegial support on employees' innovative job performance, after controlling for the baseline level of performance. Specifically, when working under illness, employees displayed the best innovative performance with high levels of both supervisory and collegial support, the worst performance with both support being low, and the intermediate when any one of the support being high. This can be taken as the preliminary evidence to support the COR proposition of resource caravans, showing that supervisory support and collegial support compensated for each other as critical resources in alleviating the impact of working under sickness on employees' innovative performance. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed, taking into account the macro-cultural context of the East Asian Confucian societies. We also reflected on the managerial implications of the lasting damages of sickness presenteeism and benefits of mobilizing social resources on employees' well-being and performance.

Reliability and Validity of a Stress Scale in Public Employees from Murcia (Spain)

Stress is common in all work environments. Technostress and the difficulty of separating the family arena from the work environment are some of the new and emerging risks faced by companies, employees and society in general. Most of the available instruments for measuring stress in workers have been focused on education professionals and healthcare workers. Therefore, it is necessary to validate simple and friendly-use tools to detect stress levels in public workers. The aim of this study was to determine the internal consistency of an adapted version of the Student Stress Inventory-Stress Manifestations (SSI-SM) for public employees and to determine if high-stress levels are related to personal and work-related factors. A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted from October 2016 to February 2019 including 468 Spanish public workers based in Murcia. An adapted version of the SSI-SM was administered and data on personal and work-related factors were collected. Results showed that all of the factors had Cronbach’s α over 0.700, and no items need to be deleted due to correlations with the factor exceeding 0.300. Factor 1, “Self-concept”, has a Cronbach’s α of 0.868, with values of 15.62 ± 4.99; factor 2, “Sociability”, Cronbach’s α: 0.853, with mean values of 13.33 ± 4.17; factor 3, “Somatization”, Cronbach’s α: 0.704, mean value of 5.35 ± 1.90 and: factor 4, “Uncertainty”, Cronbach’s α: 0.746, with a mean value of 8.19 ± 2.51. In conclusion, the internal consistency of the adapted SSI-SM for public employees with different work positions and shifts has been validated and determined. This study provides a useful tool for the early detection of stress in public employees and may be potentially useful for preventing the harmful consequences of stress.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in health care workers after exposure to patients with COVID-19

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) of health care workers (HCWs) who were potentially or directly exposed to patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a non-core epidemic area of China.

Methods

Psychological conditions were evaluated by the multiple psychological evaluation scales in HCWs at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in Xuzhou City (a non-core epidemic area in China) during COVID-19 epidemic. According to the risk of exposure to COVID-19 patients, HCWs were divided into two groups: HCWs with high-risk (HHCW) group (who worked in wards for COVID-19 patients) and HCWs with low-risk (LHCW) group (who worked in wards for non-COVID-19 patients in the same hospital). The clinical data of psychological evaluation scales from HCWs were collected.

Results

A total of 171 HCWs were recruited in this study, with 94 (55.0%) HCWs in the HHCW group, and 77 (45.0%) HCWs in the LHCW group. Significant differences were observed in gender, work stress, job risk, and levels of fear and anxiety, and the depression between the two groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of PTSS was 28.7% in HHCW group, while the incidence of PTSS was 13.0% in LHCW group. The PTSS between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis displayed that the exposure to COVID-19, work stress and coping strategies were major risk factors associated with PTSS.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that HCWs in HHCW group had a higher chance of developing PTSS when compared with those in LHCW group. The HCWs who were exposed to COVID-19 patients had more stress and chronic stress-related disorders. Stress management should be provided to the first line HCWs who combat with COVID-19.

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases risk associated with the incidence of presenteeism and the costs of presenteeism

Objectives

The objective of this study was to estimate a risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for each worker and to determine whether this risk is associated with the incidence and costs of presenteeism, absenteeism, and medical/drug treatments.

Methods

Established risk equations were used to estimate the 10‐year probability of developing coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke in male workers aged 40‐65 years who were recruited from four pharmaceutical companies in Japan. The incidence of presenteeism was defined as existence of presenteeism for the past a month, and the incidence of absenteeism was defined as existence of sick‐leave for the past three months by a self‐administered questionnaire. Each cost was calculated based on the human capital method. Data on medical/drug treatments were collected from health insurance claims.

Results

The risks were calculated for 6047 workers. Individuals at moderate and high risk of coronary artery disease had a significantly higher rate of presenteeism and absenteeism than workers at low risk. Workers at moderate and high risk of ischemic stroke also had a significantly higher rate of presenteeism and absenteeism than workers at low risk. Mean costs for absenteeism and medical/drug treatments increased with the risk of developing coronary artery disease or ischemic stroke, while costs for presenteeism did not.

Conclusions

To prevent the costs of presenteeism, workers not only at high risk but also at low and moderate risk of developing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should receive health care services.

A comparison of workplace-related labels in Switzerland

Purpose

In Switzerland, the first and only Swiss quality label for systematic workplace health management (WHM) competes with a variety of national and international workplace-related labels for the attention of employers. The purpose of this paper is to compare the label “Friendly Work Space” (FWS) with ten other national and international workplace-related labels on the “Swiss label market” and to identify key success elements for the development and dissemination of WHM labels.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review and qualitative analysis of publicly available documents were conducted. Information was obtained from providers or by the authors’ own research. A description of workplace-related labels is presented based on defined criteria and a typology classifying workplace-related labels available in Switzerland.

Findings

Workplace-related labels can be differentiated in terms of: deliberate registration vs non-requested selection, policy vs marketing approach and assessment vs survey-based analysis. In terms of sustainable dissemination, FWS is the most successful registration-based label in Switzerland regarding the number of employees and employers benefitting from the label. Therefore, it constitutes a best practice approach for developing and disseminating a WHM label.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically analyse and compare a WHM with other workplace-related labels on a national market (supply and demand, quality, dissemination). The authors suggest a specific typology to describe the market. Recommendations are given to build up and successfully disseminate a WHM label on a national scale.