Who’s there? Analysis of absence trends in the public sector

Abstract

Attendance and absence are receiving increasing attention, as organisations attempt to maximise productivity from all organisational resources. This paper considers whether the public sector differs from broader patterns of absence, through an analysis of existing data on several public services. One clear trend is that the rates of absence tend to be higher in public services, for a range of factors related to the nature and conditions of employment. In relation to economic and demographic variables, the trends are mixed, with similarities both within and across sectors, and at other times no discernible pattern.