Medical conditions impair work performance
The association of medical conditions and presenteeism. Burton WN, Pransky G, Conti DJ, Chen CY, Edington DW. J Occup Environ Med. 2001. 46(Suppl): S38-S45.
Aim
To evaluate the relative contribution of different medical conditions on presenteeism.
Looked at
16,651 US-based employees of Bank One who completed a health risk appraisal and the Work Limitations Questionnaire in July 2002.
How?
Data from both the health risk appraisal and the work productivity questionnaire were compared.
Results
- In total, 47% of respondents reported the presence of at least one medical condition, with 22.5% reporting two or more conditions.
- Each additional medical condition was associated with a 4-5% increase in work impairment in the areas of time management, physical work activities, mental/ interpersonal activities, and overall work output.
- Of all conditions, depression had the greatest impact on all four of the areas listed above; employees with depression were more than twice as likely to report limitations in work output because of their condition.
- Arthritis, back pain, diabetes, heart disease, heartburn, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and the menopause also had an impact on work performance.
What does this mean?
Not only do individuals with medical conditions incur greater healthcare costs, they are also much more likely to have impairments in work performance. Disease management and lifestyle management programs in the workplace could yield benefits for both employee and employer.