Management Sanctions and Absence Control

The effect of deterrent measures on employee absence is a neglected topic and what little research there has been has not produced consistent findings. The present paper reports the effects of a sudden clamp-down of management sanctions on the absence behavior of a female workforce. The prediction that this action would not significantly alter the level of absence, but would affect the form absences took, was confirmed by the results, which showed a conversion of short to longer spells and uncertificated to certificated absence. The implications for control systems and their reliance on medical certification as a principal legitimizing criterion are discussed.