• Project number: F 2561
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
• Status: Ongoing Project
• Planned end: 2026-09-30

Description:

Sickness presenteeism describes the behaviour of working despite feeling sick, which can entail considerable negative consequences for employees and organisations. It can result in long-term (mental and physical) health problems, which in turn can lead to productivity losses and increased absenteeism behavior and consequently higher costs for organisations. In the digital work environments, this behaviour is highly relevant, particularly since working from home has become increasingly common. Here, employees may be more likely to work while feeling sick, as working from home means that there is no need to commute and no risk of infection.

This project aims to present new insights into the determinants of sickness presenteeism. One key focus lies on the extent to which working from home or digital (collaborative) work is related to presenteeism. For this purpose, the study draws on existing BAuA data. In addition, an online vignette study was conducted by IFAK insitute as part of a supplementary survey of the BIBB/BAuA-Erwerbstätigenbefragung 2024 to examine the reasons underlying the decision to exhibit presenteeism. In collaboration with the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IAW) and the JKU Linz the study aims to identify organisational mechanisms that mitigate or promote (virtual) presenteeism and thus, provide reference points for health-promoting  work policies.