Employee absence, age and tenure: a study of nonlinear effects and trivariate models

Multiple regression techniques were used to explore the nature of the relat ionships between age, tenure and absence in 2417 British local government w orkers drawn from three work groups. The data were collected from organizat ional records and included measures of both non-certified absence and medic ally certified absence. Linear and curvilinear associations among age, tenu re and absence were examined. The possible moderating or mediating role of tenure in the relationship between age and absence was subsequently analyse d. The data revealed linear relationships between age and absence that were negative for non-certified absence and positive for certified absence. In contrast, curvilinear relationships were found between tenure and absence t hat were U-shaped for noncertified absence and inverse U-shaped for certifi ed absence. Tenure was found to moderate but not to mediate the relationshi p between age and absence. The implications of the results are discussed in the context of the changing age and career paths of the workforce, and of methodological issues in absence research.