Information asymmetry about the employee's state of health means that workers may decide to work (or not) when they are sick, which turns presenteeism into a principal-agent relationship. From this new perspective, presenteeism can be explained by some distinct and original factors such as implicit incentives related to motivation and a sense of autonomy (empowerment, job usefulness, and recognition) and explicit incentives given by wages and other non-economic benefits (training and career prospects). In a sample of European workers using multilevel (by country) Tobit models, we find that short-term incentives and workers' empowerment increase presenteeism, while long-term incentives reduce it. As expected, supervision is ineffective in controlling presenteeism, while relationships based on trust have a positive impact. Finally, we propose several practices related to incentives, training, monitoring, occupational health and safety and job design specifically intended to manage presenteeism and its consequences in six areas of the human resources function.

The Economy for the Common Good movement proposes an alternative economic model, which promises to offset many of the detrimental effects of the contemporary labour market. Yet, despite its increasing economic and social relevance in Europe, there is little research on Economy for the Common Good firms and the quality of the jobs they offer their employees. We thus, first, introduce the ideas of this movement and then present findings on workplace characteristics and the well-being of workers. Our results are based on our own survey of Economy for the Common Good employees from 2018 and on the sixth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey. Our analyses offer mixed support for the claims of the Economy for the Common Good – while Economy for the Common Good workers can be found in high-quality work settings, their absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as indicators of control, time pressure, direct participation and financial participation do not differ from other workers when controlled in a propensity score matching approach. Based on our findings and feedback from Economy for the Common Good representatives, we conclude that the introduction of Eonomy for the Common Good ideas might be too recent to see any positive effects, but also that Economy for the Common Good companies should place more focus on their employees’ well-being.

An often overlooked facet of the indirect costs affecting working-age stroke survivors is the challenges experienced by those who return to work. This study quantified the productivity loss in 20 stroke survivors who returned to work which amounted to 53.0 missed work days and an average indirect cost of $10,298 (CAD) in the year following a stroke. Despite the quantified productivity loss, 75% of patients reported no significant disability and a high proportion were self-employed compared to the Canadian population, indicating that socioeconomic factors may be driving patient decisions to return to work.

This study investigated the role employees may play in making themselves targets of supervisor incivility. Drawing from Victim Precipitation Theory, and Conservation of Resources Theory, I hypothesized that engaging in presenteeism will be positively associated with experienced supervisor incivility, and that presentees’ experienced productivity loss will mediate this relationship. Furthermore, I hypothesized that presentees’ self-efficacy and perceived control (personal and condition resources, respectively) will each operate as boundary conditions of the presenteeism–productivity loss relationship such that presentees high in each resource will be less likely to experience supervisor incivility. I found that experienced productivity loss mediates the positive relationship between presenteeism and experienced supervisor incivility. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to moderate the presenteeism–productivity loss relationship; however, the relationship was stronger for low self-efficacy presentees, which increased the likelihood of experiencing supervisor incivility. Perceived control did not moderate the presenteeism–productivity loss relationship. I discuss the study’s implications for theory and practice.

Objective. The study examined the evidence for the influence of chronic pain on proximal work participation behaviours important for job retention such as presenteeism, absenteeism and job satisfaction.

Method. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken using various databases including PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus and other sources which resulted in the identification of 353 articles of which 15 articles were chosen for analysis and inclusion. Eligibility was based on a mixed methodological framework using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist.

Results. There is evidence to suggest that chronic pain influences work participation qualities including absenteeism, presenteeism and job satisfaction. Personality and work content factors mediate the relationship between chronic pain and the proximal work participation variables.

Conclusion. Interventions targeting proximal work context behaviours appear to hold promise for long-term work participation by people with chronic pain. Rehabilitation interventions for job retention with chronic pain will likely be successful with attention to ongoing, changeable work participation behaviours that predict job retention.