Workplace Health and Productivity Dynamics

Workplace health and productivity dynamics encompass the reciprocal relationship between employee wellbeing and organisational performance. Central to this field are two complementary phenomena: sickness absenteeism, whereby employees refrain from work due to health reasons, and sickness presenteeism, whereby employees attend work despite ill health. Both behaviours incur direct and indirect costs, shaping individual health trajectories, team cohesion and overall organisational resilience. Research has demonstrated that job characteristics—such as demands, resources and leadership responsibilities—interact with personal factors including chronic disease, psychological distress and teleworking arrangements. The resulting balance between health promotion and productivity imperatives underpins the design of effective interventions, ranging from flexible working policies and occupational health programmes to targeted leadership training. Globally, employers and policymakers recognise that supporting employee health fosters sustainable productivity, mitigates public-health risks and reinforces labour-market participation in ageing societies. Consequently, interdisciplinary studies now integrate epidemiology, economics and organisational psychology to inform evidence-based strategies for maintaining a healthy and high-performing workforce.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Workplace Health and Productivity Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in workplace health and productivity dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sickness absenteeism: The absence of an employee from work attributable to illness or health-related issues.

Presenteeism: The behaviour of attending work despite poor health, often resulting in reduced productivity and potential health deterioration.

Job demands–resources model: A theoretical framework positing that job demands (e.g. workload, time pressure) and job resources (e.g. support, autonomy) jointly influence employee wellbeing and performance.

Telework: A flexible work arrangement in which employees perform job tasks remotely, typically using information and communication technologies.

References

1. Sick of Leading? Supervisory Responsibility and Its Consequences for Sickness Absenteeism and Sickness Presenteeism. Journal of Business and Psychology (2024).
2. Relationship between Telework Experience and Presenteeism during COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, March–November 2020 - Volume 29, Number 2—February 2023 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2023).
3. A systematic review of infectious illness Presenteeism: prevalence, reasons and risk factors. BMC Public Health (2019).