The links between difficult working conditions and sickness absences in the case of French workers

Abstract

This study empirically links objective measures of arduous working conditions and financial incentive indicators with sick leave use. We use a 2017 French survey on occupational hazards and sick leaves linked to information on the individual level of sick pay extracted from collective bargaining agreements. Our results show that physical constraints are not linked to short-term sick leave use whereas psychosocial constraints are significantly associated with more sick leave spells and a high cumulative number of sick days. Moreover, the relationship between sick pay and use seems ambiguous because of the heterogeneity in behavioural responses.