Who Hurt You at Work? Results From a Nationwide Survey of Association Between Absenteeism and Workplace Violence, Stratified by Perpetrator

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to determine the association between workplace violence and sickness absenteeism. Methods We analyzed the data from the fifth and sixth waves of the Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Individuals younger than 18 years and self-employed or unpaid family workers were excluded. Descriptive statistics, χ2 tests, and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results After adjusting for sociodemographic, occupational, and job-related characteristics, we found that the workers who had experienced workplace violence had higher rates of sickness absenteeism, especially when the perpetrator of violence was a coworker. Conclusions Daily contact with the perpetrator at the workplace can cause distress and recollection of painful memories; thus, the aftermath of being harassed inside the workplace can be even more devastating than the event itself. A sensitive approach to recognizing the perpetrators of violence is needed.