Relationship between psychosocial work factors and sick absence in Polish enterprises

Introduction
Most of researchers agree that work conditions, including psychosocial ones, are inconsistently associated with sickness absence rates. Moreover employees’ health problems cause not only higher sick absence but also lower quality and productivity of work. According to the Polish Statistical Office every forth employee suffers from work – related health problems. Findings of the research done in Poland in 2009 by Medicover, a healthcare service company, show that mental health problems are chief factors influencing sick absence in Polish enterprises. For example employees suffering from depression (caused by different factors) stay on the sick leave almost 15 days per year. 

Methods
The aim of the project is to investigate associations between sick absence rates and psychosocial working conditions in Polish enterprises. Sickness absence data will be gathered with use of a questionnaire developed within the project. Moreover, the questionnaire enables to collect information about psychosocial risk factors (like job control, workload, cognitive demands, organizational conflicts, working hours, discrimination and harassment), their possible reasons and health consequences, employees’ physical and mental well-being as well as job satisfaction. The relationship between the independent variables (such as demographic characteristics, risk factors, and well-being and job satisfaction) and sick absence days will be analyzed. The study includes 300 employees both office and production ones. 

Results
The results will allow answering the following questions: How do psychosocial working conditions influence health of office and production workers? What percentage of the sick absence rate is caused by psychosocial working conditions? The results will be available by the end of 2011. 

Discussion
The findings will help the employers to understand how important psychosocial working conditions are for business performance, particularly for reduction of sick absence costs and improving quality and productivity of work.