Work and Non-Work Sickness Presenteeism: The Role of Workplace COVID-19 Climate.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To test the role of workplace coronavirus disease (COVID-19) climate in shaping employee attitudes toward the CDC prevention guidelines and subsequent levels of work and non-work sickness presenteeism. METHODS: Three waves of anonymous survey data were collected in October and December 2020 and February 2021. Participants were 304 employed adults in the U.S., of whom half were working onsite. RESULTS: Time 1 workplace COVID-19 climate was positively associated with Time 2 employee attitudes toward the CDC prevention guidelines, which in turn predicted Time 3 levels of non-work and work sickness presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: The workplace can shape employee attitudes toward the CDC COVID-19 prevention guidelines and their work and non-work sickness presenteeism, thus highlighting the important role companies have in reducing community spread of the novel coronavirus in work and non-work settings.