Absenteeism is a subject of increasing interest. Due to the current economical context based on competition, and in order to profit and grow in a sustainable way, companies have been trying to find ways of decreasing its rates. The purpose of this study was to analyze how much the worker's age, genre, occupation as well as the kind of management he is submitted to, could affect the incidence of absenteeism caused by medical or dentistry problems in public and private services. The research was held at an acrylic industry in Araçatuba, a town in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data collecting consisted of analyzing the doctors' and dentists' certificates workers handed in to their employers, to explain their absences from work, from January to June 2002. The results showed that absences caused by dental problems were much rarer and for a shorter period than the absences caused by medical problems. The workers' age, genre, occupation as well as the kind of management they were submitted to, influenced the incidence of their absences from work. Making these information available is of great importance. Their different aspects will help choosing the correct strategy to decrease absenteeism rates.
absenteeism; occupational health; oral health; public and private sector
