ABSENTEEISM AMONG EMPLOYEES WHO PARTICIPATED IN A WORKPLACE INFLUENZAIMMUNIZATION PROGRAM

To assess the effectiveness of a free workplace immunization program a t 3M's St. Paul, Minnesota locations, we examined the difference in si ck leave hours taken from November 15, 1996, through March 15, 1997 fo r employees who had and did not have an influenza vaccination prior to the previous year's four-month influenza season (November 15, 1995-Ma rch 15, 1996). Among the 2,622 employees who self-reported that they w ere not immunized in the previous year, there were, on average, 1.2 fe wer hours of sick leave taken during the 1996-1997 influenza season th an the comparable time period one year earlier (P < 0.05), although th e exact reason for the absenteeism was not determined. In particular, we observed that female employees younger than 50 years of age with tw o or more children took 3.1 hours less sick leave in the year they wer e immunized compared with the preceding year (P < 0. 0001). Among the 895 subjects who were immunized in both years, employees took 0.7 hour s more sick leave during the 1996-1997 influenza season than the previ ous year (P = 0.46). Based on our findings, consideration should be gi ven to workplace immunization programs. However, we urge caution in ap plying a ''one-size fits all'' approach to any cost-savings analysis f rom a company-sponsored immunization program because the workplace is not a heterogeneous environment, with regard to employees' age, gender , medical history, and home environment. All of these factors may dire ctly or indirectly contribute to the risk of acquiring influenza and a ny of its complications.