Objective: Low productivity while at work (presenteeism) has been reported to produce significant cost excesses for organizations and economies. However, many of these reports have been based on estimates drawn from self-report instruments that are not supported by evidence showing their efficacy. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess associations between responses to leading self-report tests of presenteeism and self-recorded on-the-job productivity.
Methods: Health care worker self-ratings of productivity were taken from a questionnaire that contained the key item from each presenteeism instrument. Productivity levels were drawn from employee reported daily work activity logs.
Results: Test-based productivity estimates did not show strong associations with daily recordings of work activity.
Conclusions: Associations were too low to recommend any test as a proxy measure for reported productivity. It is suggested that objective measures of work output be explored.