Association Between Workaholism and Work Engagement and the Incidence of Long-Term Sickness Absence

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Objectives This study investigates the association between workaholism and work engagement on the incidence of long-term sickness absence due to all diseases and mental disorders. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 7013 Japanese employees from four companies. Participants were categorized into four groups based on median splits of workaholism and work engagement. Long-term sickness absence (≥30 days) was tracked for 3 years using company records. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results Compared with high workaholism and low engagement, low workaholism and high engagement were associated with a significantly reduced incidence of long-term sickness absence due to both all diseases and mental disorders. High workaholism and high engagement showed a lower incidence for mental disorders only. Conclusions Work engagement reduces the impact of workaholism on long-term sickness absence, particularly for mental health outcomes.