Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability
Absenteeism
Definition
Workers' absence from work because of incapacity of any kind, excluding permitted leave such as holidays, study, parental or compassionate leave. GRI 403:2016 defined the absentee rate as actual absentee days lost expressed as a percentage of total days scheduled to be worked over the same period.
References
Glossary definitions of "absentee" and "absentee rate"; Disclosure 403-2 reporting requirements (breakdowns by region and gender).
GRI 403:2018 published 28 June 2018, effective for reports from 1 January 2021, replacing the 2016 version.
Overview
What it means
Persistently high absenteeism can signal poor physical or mental health, unsafe or stressful working conditions, or low morale. Because it is influenced by illness, injury and workplace culture alike, it is read alongside injury and lost-day rates rather than in isolation.
How it is used
Employers track absenteeism in human-resources analytics as a wellbeing and productivity indicator. In sustainability reporting, GRI 403:2016 (Disclosure 403-2) required the absentee rate for all employees, broken down by region and gender; the 2018 revision of GRI 403 restructured occupational health and safety disclosures, and absenteeism is now more often reported through broader human-capital metrics.
Why it matters
Absenteeism links working conditions to business performance and social sustainability outcomes. It carries direct costs (lost output, cover labour) and acts as an early-warning signal of systemic health and safety or wellbeing problems.
Definitions and controversy
Definitions differ on whether to count only unplanned incapacity absences; GRI excludes permitted leave. Comparability across jurisdictions is limited by differing sick-leave entitlements.