Top Reasons for Health-Related Absenteeism

The most common chronic conditions that led to 10 or more days of employee absences in 2003 from work were depression, sadness or mental illness, followed by any type of cancer and respiratory disorders, according to a recent study by the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Nearly 30% of workers reported health problems in 2003, with 44% saying they took one to five sick days because of these problems and 20% saying they took six or more sick days.

The study showed that employees on average missed more than 10 days for the following chronic conditions:

Depression/Sadness/Mental Illness, 25.6 days;
Cancer, 16.9 days;
Respiratory Disorders, 14.7 days;
Asthma, 12 days;
Migraine/Headache, 10.7 days;
Allergy, 8.2 days
Heart Disease, 6.8 days;
Arthritis, 5.9 days; and
Diabetes, 2 days.

Read the full report from the American Hospital Association.

Filed under: Employee Management

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