Is Honesty the Fee for Vulnerability? Gender-Based Evaluation of Workers' Sick Leave Determinants Around the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

We analyze the main determinants of workers' absence due to sickness around the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain with a particular focus on the role of gender. For each quarter, we estimate a logistic regression model to measure sickness absence determinants. We make use of microdata from the Economically Active Population Survey, published quarterly by the National Statistical Office, which identifies workers failing to attend their jobs due to illness for an entire week and includes relevant information about individual and job characteristics. Sick leave frequencies among female workers are more homogeneous across sectors and employment statuses and more predictable, particularly during the pandemic. In contrast, male workers exhibit a more erratic pattern. Male workers seem to exhibit a greater propensity for opportunistic use of sickness protection.