Influence of COVID-19 and its long-term effect in work productivity and sickness absence

Background. Long-COVID is estimated to affect almost 400 million people globally, but its impact on the workforce is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of COVID-19 and long-COVID on work productivity loss and sickness absence in employees from a large multinational corporation located in three countries from different geographical regions.Methods. Cross-sectional study in which 1 955 employees completed a questionnaire covering sociodemographic, occupational, lifestyle and clinical characteristics. COVID status was the explanatory variable, and the outcomes were work productivity loss and sickness absence. Binomial Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between COVID status and both outcomes. The effects of covariates as potential confounders for the association of long-COVID with both outcomes were also assessed.Results. Among 1 782 employees included, 58.8% reported COVID-19 of whom 50.4% reported long-COVID symptoms. Fatigue and brain fog were the main symptoms reported. Long-COVID was significantly associated with higher rates of work productivity loss and sickness absence. These associations were partially explained by pre-existing mental health conditions; additionally, participants’ job roles and country partially accounted for the association with productivity loss.Conclusion. Work productivity loss and sickness absence are more influenced by the persistence of the long-term effects of COVID-19 rather than COVID-19 per se, and this is partially driven by pre-existing mental health conditions, job roles, and participant’s country. Workplace strategies and cost-effective interventions are needed to support affected employees and employers who are seeking to mitigate the impact of long-COVID in their organisations.