Findings of a study that formulated and tested new ways of thinking about teacher absence are presented in this paper, which is based on the premise that teacher absenteeism is a social invention that must be studied within the context of the work site and understood as a function of the social exchange that occurs therein. Prior research has used…

Nationwide, there are several innovative approaches to substitute teacher staffing issues, including: increased substitute teacher pay and enlistment of local college students to substitute at least 3 days per week in exchange for tuition help and a guaranteed job after graduation. Incentive programs for low absenteeism rates are a good way to…

Interviews with 82 academic and 84 nonacademic university staff about their retirement intentions and attitudes, work attitudes, and withdrawal behaviors found that dissatisfied individuals are more likely to engage in organizational withdrawal behavior, such as lateness, absenteeism, and retirement. Academic personnel had greater satisfaction and…

Explored gender and relationship differences in caregiving--for a spouse, parent, parent-in-law, other relative, or friend--among a sample of employed caregivers (N=2,174). Results revealed no gender differences in the provision of 7 of 13 caregiving tasks, but women devoted more time and were more likely to be primary caregivers. (RJM)

A survey of an upstate New York (East Lake) elementary school's teachers revealed that age and leave accumulation were the only factors related to absenteeism. Outside demands on teachers' time may explain the age factor. Teachers near retirement and those with more accumulated leave had significantly lower absenteeism. Incentive plans are…

Teacher absenteeism is an ongoing problem. This paper examines findings from research centered on who is absent from teaching and when, causes for teacher absences, absenteeism and student achievement, the relationship between school climate and employee absences, and the impact of various incentives on teacher absenteeism. Recommendations for…

Case studies of 12 leading British employers were driven by employers' interest in issues related to working long hours in light of introduction of the Working Time Directive, a European Community initiative enacted into British law that sets limits on working hours per week. Data showed over one-fourth of full-time employees worked over 48 hours…

An efficient way to help students achieve academically is to maximize the consistent attendance of permanent teachers in the classroom. Students nationwide are spending increased amounts of time with instructors other than their permanent teachers. A large contributor to the problem of teacher absenteeism is mandatory leave for professional…

Collected teacher absenteeism data for 108 elementary teachers and 165 secondary teachers in Nova Scotia. Compared absences by sex, age, level of license, school level taught, and days of the week. The most significant predictor of short-term absences is the level of school taught. Elementary teachers are absent more than secondary teachers. (KS)

A literature review showed substantial growth in the use of compressed work weeks. Employees benefited from increased leisure but suffered from increased fatigue and work disruption. Organizations might experience enhanced morale and less absenteeism as well as work coordination and communication problems. (SK)

Investigates types of organizational rumors, their prevalence and effects, effectiveness of rumor management strategies, and associated psychological and situational variables. Finds 3 distinct dimensions of rumor effects: external ramifications (bad press), internal attitudes (lowered morale), and internal behaviors (increased absenteeism). (NH)

While preparing a previous ERS Report, Employee Absenteeism: A Summary of Research, Educational Research Service found relatively few published studies on school support staff compared to the immense literature on absenteeism in business and industry. ERS found no nationwide data relating specifically to either teacher or school support staff…

This paper presents how organisational development can be the results when politicians, managers, social workers and teaching staff take part in reflection. The results are based on a government-funded initiative in Sweden for lowering sick absenteeism. Three local governments introduced reflection as a strategy to combat work related stress and a…

Lists ways in which school districts enable teacher absenteeism and how these practices can be remedied. Includes limiting personal days, sick-leave provisions, and conference leave. (MLF)

Interviews and observations in a British clothing factory that introduced a new computer numerical control system and teamwork/empowerment showed that "teamwork" actually meant little worker control over daily work; deployment of workers often disrupted group cohesiveness. Worker responses included increased absence and turnover.…