Measuring Absenteeism and Presenteeism among Workers with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMDs)

Productivity is a major concern in any organization. The success and failure of the organization are determined by this factor. The indicator of worker productivity (index) could be measured using absenteeism, disability (consisting of scattered illness and short-term disability absences) and presenteeism. One of the antecedents of productivity is work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). The scarcity of empirical evidence on the prevalence of WRMDs has prompted the present study to be undertaken in the effort to create cognizance of the issue among the management and other parties concerned so actions can be taken to resolve it. The present study was undertaken involving administrative workers in one of the public universities in Malaysia using a quantitative research approach. They were purposively selected based on certain criteria decided by the researchers to ensure the representativeness of the samples. Using logistic multiple regression analysis, the results of the analysis revealed that five regions of the body: shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, hips/thighs, and ankles/feet are prone to WRMDs, and these regions negatively influence absenteeism and presenteeism of the administrative workers. The findings should not be taken lightly by the management as the consequences are severe. Several strategies are recommended to be taken by the management and followed by the workers to address the problem of WRMDs among them so that the problem of low productivity can be resolved.