Workplace Productivity Losses Due to Multimorbidity Estimated in New Study

Research conducted by the University of Queensland has shed light on the impact of multimorbidity on workplace productivity, revealing significant associations between the condition and increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and working hour tension. Employing data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, the study analyzed the relationship between multimorbidity and productivity loss, finding that individuals with multimorbidity experienced a 1.07-fold higher rate of absenteeism and three times higher odds of experiencing presenteeism compared to those without serious illness.

Key Takeaways:

• The study used data from four waves of the HILDA survey to investigate the relationship between multimorbidity and productivity loss.
• A significant association was found between multimorbidity and increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and working hour tension.
• Individuals with multimorbidity had a 1.07-fold higher rate of absenteeism (incidence rate ratios: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.13) compared to those without serious illness.
• The odds of experiencing presenteeism were three times higher, and the incidence of working hour tension was 32% higher in individuals with multimorbidity.
• The average annual cost of absenteeism was AU$265.20 higher for individuals with multimorbidity than for those without serious illness.
• The study concluded that evidence-based workplace policies are necessary to support the productivity and well-being of employees living with multimorbidity.
• The research was conducted by Syed Afroz Keramat, Mohammad Afshar Ali, and Christine Y. Lu from the Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland.

Statistics:

• 1.07-fold higher rate of absenteeism in individuals with multimorbidity compared to those without (incidence rate ratios: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02-1.13)
• 3 times higher odds of experiencing presenteeism in individuals with multimorbidity (95% CI: 1.02-1.13)
• 32% higher incidence of working hour tension in individuals with multimorbidity (95% CI: 1.02-1.13)
• AU$265.20 higher average annual cost of absenteeism for individuals with multimorbidity (95% CI: 1.02-1.13)

Sources:

• Workplace productivity losses due to multimorbidity: findings from an Australian longitudinal population survey, 2009-21, Journal of Public Health, 2025
• HILDA Survey, University of Melbourne
• Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland
• Oxford Univ Press, Great Clarendon St, Oxford OX2 6DP, England