Association of Healthy Work Culture and Worksite Health Culture with Presenteeism

Propose: Presenteeism was defined as ever getting ill or feeling uncomfortable and thinking one need absent but still going to work. Until now, there were no research about the association between working culture, worksite health culture and presenteeism. The aim of this study was to explore it.

Methods: Data of a self-reported questionnaire were collected from 1537 employees, who joined the study on a voluntary basis, in fifteen companies in northern Taiwan.

Result: Employee who was female, younger ones, higher education level and private sectors has higher odd ratio on presenteeism. Both better worksite health culture and lower work pressure yielded a result of lower presenteeism. Among four dimensions of worksite health culture, supportive environment on healthy behaviors like the value of healthy lifestyles and the supports of supervisor and coworkers on healthy lifestyles, was the one of most influence.

Conclusion: Although work culture and worksite health culture are quiet different things, both of them are important to presenteeism. For improving employees’ long-term health, the enterprises, especially the private sectors, should pay attention to presenteeism and make efforts in creating better worksite health culture and reducing work press.