Absenteeism refers to a specific employee behavior characterized by frequent or extended absences that are motivationally driven and voluntary, rather than medically or contractually justified.
Unlike absences due to illness, maternity leave, or vacation, absenteeism involves discretionary decisions by employees to stay away from work without valid medical or legal reasons. These motivation-related absences pose significant challenges in workforce management.
In organizational practice, absenteeism—alongside general employee absences—is taken seriously due to its direct impact on personnel costs. It often leads to increased overtime, decreased productivity, coordination issues, reliance on temporary staff, or the need for staff leasing. Furthermore, high absenteeism rates can signal deeper issues such as poor leadership or inadequate employee engagement.
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