COVID-19-related work absenteeism and associated lost productivity cost in Germany: a population-based study

Jingyan Yang; Kiran K Rai; Monica Seif; Hannah R Volkman; Jinma Ren; Andrea Schmetz; Hannah Gowman; Lucy Massey; Shanti Pather; Jennifer L Nguyen

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003093

COVID-19-related work absenteeism and associated lost productivity cost in Germany: a population-based study

J Occup Environ Med. 2024 Mar 14. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003093. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jingyan Yang, Kiran K Rai¹, Monica Seif¹, Hannah R Volkman², Jinma Ren³, Andrea Schmetz⁴, Hannah Gowman¹, Lucy Massey¹, Shanti Pather⁴, Jennifer L Nguyen²

Affiliations

¹ Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom.
² Pfizer Inc., New York, United States.
³ Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, United States.
⁴ BioNTech Europe GmbH, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 38489399
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003093

Abstract

Objective: To estimate COVID-19 absenteeism and indirect costs, by care setting.

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study using data from the German Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) database to define outpatient (April 2020-December 2021) and hospitalized (April 2020-October 2022) cohorts of employed working-aged individuals.

Results: In the outpatient cohort (n = 369,220) median absenteeism duration and associated cost was 10.0 (IQR: 5.0, 15.0) days and €1,061 (530, 1,591), respectively. In the hospitalized cohort (n = 20,687), median absenteeism and associated cost was 15.0 (7.0, 32.0) days and €1,591 (743, 3,394), respectively. Stratified analyses showed greater absenteeism in older workers, those at risk and those with severe disease.

Conclusions: The hospitalized cohort had longer absenteeism resulting in higher productivity loss. Being older, at risk of severe COVID-19 and higher disease severity during hospitalization were important drivers of higher absenteeism duration.