June 2007
Vol. 8, no. 6

Employee absences from work because of an illness or disability are of constant interest. These absences can be for either part or all of a week (see Data sources and definitions).¹ Past studies have examined in detail trends and differences among various work groups with respect to overall illness-related work absences—full- and part-week combined. (Akyeampong 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999).² Until now, no work has been done on the two separately, even though part-week absences are more likely to be unannounced and so may be relatively more disruptive to managers for planning and production purposes, and to co-workers. This note examines not only separate trends for the two types of absences, but also their seasonality over the decade 1997 to 2006—namely, since the latest Labour Force Survey redesign.

Rising trend in part-week absences during past decade

The weekly number of employees failing to report for work because of an illness or disability has increased steadily over the past 10 years—from 431,000 in 1997 to 758,000 in 2006. Controlling for employment growth does not change the picture (Table and Chart A); the incidence rose consistently, climbing from 3.8% in 1997 to 5.4% in 2006. Contributing factors include the aging of the workforce and improvements in sick-leave entitlements.3

The trend for each type of illness-related absence has been generally upward, but much more pronounced for part-week absences. For example, while the number of employees reporting a full-week absence rose by almost one-third (from 199,000 in 1997 to 262,000 in 2006), part-week absences more than doubled (from 232,000 to 496,000). Similarly, the incidence of full-week absences rose marginally from 1.8% to 1.9% between 1997 and 2006, while that of part-week absences jumped from 2.0% to 3.5%. Simply stated, part-week absences have been the major driving force for the increase in overall work absences due to illness or disability during the past decade. Throughout the period, women showed a higher incidence of both full- and part-week illness-related absences than men (Chart B). For both women and men, though, the incidence of full-week absences remained little changed over the period, while that of part-week absences rose rapidly.

Seasonality a factor in part-week absences

Perhaps not unexpectedly, illness-related absences are highly seasonal, reaching a peak during the winter months (December to February) and a trough during the summer (June to August) (Chart C). The high incidence in winter is likely related to the prevalence of communicable diseases at that time, especially colds and influenza. The low incidence during the summer may be partly because many employees take their vacation during these months. Because of survey design, those who fall ill during vacation will likely report 'vacation' rather than 'sickness or disability' as the main reason for being away from work.

Compared with the annual average, part-week absences are roughly 30% more prevalent in the winter months and almost 20% less so during the summer months. Seasonality is much less evident in full-week absences.

Hours lost per absence remains steady

Hours lost for full-week illness absences by definition reflect average usual hours worked—about 37 between 1997 and 2006. Similarly, time lost for part-week absences has been concentrated around 11 hours (roughly a day and a half).

Summary

The number and proportion of employees absent from work for all or part of a week due to own illness or disability have risen over the past 10 years. The growth has been much greater for part-week absences. The number of employees absent for a full week rose from 199,000 in 1997 to 262,000 in 2006, and the incidence grew slightly from 1.8% to 1.9%. The corresponding increases for part-week absences were from 232,000 to 496,000, and from 2.0% to 3.5%.

Both men and women shared in the rising incidence, with rates for both full-week and part-week absences being higher for women. Reasons for the growing trends in both number and incidence include the aging of the workforce and improvements in sick-leave entitlements for employees. While full-week absences have shown minimal seasonal patterns, the same cannot be said for part-week absences. Compared with the annual average, part-week illness absences are roughly 30% more common in the winter months and 20% less so in the summer months.

Notes

1. Whether an illness-related absence is designated as full- or part-week is dictated by the Labour Force Survey design. The survey results are based on labour market activity during a reference week, usually the week containing the 15th day of the month. As well, absences are snapshots within the reference week and do not necessarily mean completed spells of absence. Such information can only be obtained from a longitudinal survey such as the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics.

2. In these previous studies, the focus of interest was absenteeism, and hence, in accordance with international practices, part-time employees, who normally have low absence rates, were excluded from the analyses. In this note however, the universe includes both full-time and part-time workers.

3. Studies have found that illness-related work absences increase with age (Statistics Canada 2007).

References

• Akyeampong, Ernest B. 1988. "Time loss from work for personal reasons." The Labour Force. Vol. 44, no. 5. May. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-001-XPB. p. 87-121.

• ---. 1992. "Absences from work revisited (PDF)." Perspectives on Labour and Income. Vol. 4, no. 1. Spring. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE. p. 44-53. (accessed June 13, 2007).

• ---. 1995. "Missing work (PDF)." Perspectives on Labour and Income. Vol. 7, no. 1. Spring. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE. p. 12-16. (accessed June 13, 2007).

• ---. 1999. "Missing work in 1998-industry differences." Perspectives on Labour and Income. Vol. 11, no. 3. Autumn. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE. p. 30-36. (accessed June 13, 2007).

• Statistics Canada. 2007. Work Absence Rates, 2006. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 71-211-XWE. Ottawa. (accessed June 13, 2007).

Full article in PDF

Author
Ernest B. Akyeampong retired from the Labour and Household Surveys Analysis Division. For further information, contact Henry Pold at 613-951-4608 or at perspectives@statcan.gc.ca.

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