Meta-Analysis of the Correlates of Employee Absence

Abstract

A quantitative review of employee absence correlates was conducted to address inconsistencies among findings and include the results of studies conducted since the last major review. Correlates were categorized as psychological, demographic work environment, or organization-wide factors and analyzed separately using two operationalizations (total time absent and absence frequency). Occupational status was used as a moderator for correlates with unstable effects. The results of the study indicate that work environment and organization-wide correlates are better predictors of employee absence than psychological or demographic correlates. Both the implications for volitional theories of absence and practical applications of the findings are discussed.