The influence of disability on absenteeism: an empirical analysis using Spanish data

Abstract

Using data from the European Community Household Panel for Spain covering the
period 1995-2001, this paper investigates the influence of disability on absenteeism
reported by workers. Results show that workers with disabilities are absent more days
than workers without disabilities. This finding holds even when individual’s selfreported
health, visits to doctors and nights spent in hospitals are included in the
estimations. The total effect of disability on absenteeism amounts to a marginal
increase of 6-10 days per year. Implications for labour policy are discussed.