Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: An observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden
Platts, Seddigh, Berntson and Westerlund tested a claim that had rested largely on self-report. Earlier research associating open-plan offices with higher sickness absence depended on people remembering and reporting their own absence, which is vulnerable to recall bias and to how they feel about their workplace. This study drew absence from employer records as well as self-reports, across employees of two private and one public sector organisation in Sweden, with office type established by direct observation or survey and with gender, age, sector and education controlled. Office type was generally not associated with the number of episodes or days of sickness absence in the employer records, the exception being a higher total number of days of leave in flex offices than cell offices. It was not associated with self-reported sickness presence, meaning attending work while ill. The authors conclude that it is not possible to conclude from this study that open-plan offices are associated with greater sickness absence or presence.
Platts, Seddigh, Berntson and Westerlund tested a claim that had rested largely on self-report. Earlier research associating open-plan offices with higher sickness absence depended on people remembering and reporting their own absence, which is vulnerable to recall bias and to how they feel about their workplace. This study drew absence from employer records as well as self-reports, across employees of two private and one public sector organisation in Sweden, with office type established by direct observation or survey and with gender, age, sector and education controlled. Office type was generally not associated with the number of episodes or days of sickness absence in the employer records, the exception being a higher total number of days of leave in flex offices than cell offices. It was not associated with self-reported sickness presence, meaning attending work while ill. The authors conclude that it is not possible to conclude from this study that open-plan offices are associated with greater sickness absence or presence.
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Platts, L. G., Seddigh, A., Berntson, E., & Westerlund, H. (2020). 'Sickness absence and sickness presence in relation to office type: an observational study of employer-recorded and self-reported data from Sweden.' PLoS ONE, 15(4), e0231934. Employer absence records and self-reports across three Swedish organisations; office type was generally not associated with episodes or days of sickness absence, nor with sickness presence, and the authors conclude the study does not support the claim that open-plan offices produce greater sickness absence. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0231934
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- The Office That Stopped People Talking, Why We Work
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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231934
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231934