| Abstract: | This study addresses the concept of "absentee-proneness," the notion that a small percentage of employees are responsible for a great percentage of absenteeism. Two uncorrelated measures of absence (paid and unpaid) were recorded for each individual in a sample of 195 employees working in the accounting department of a large public utility. Data were recorded for seven consecutive quarters (e.g., 21 months). The results showed that a core of employees was responsible for the vast majority of absenteeism in any one quarter, but that core changed from quarter to quarter. The distribution of absence data over the full 21 month period did not differ from chance expectancy. |
