Using a large representative data set for Germany, this study contrasts absenteeism of self-employed individuals and paid employees by estimating hurdle models. We find that absence from work is clearly less prevalent among the self-employed than among paid employees. Only to a small extent, this difference can be traced back to differences in health status and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the gap in absenteeism does not seem to be driven by different behaviour in case of sickness as we find no clear difference in the prevalence of presenteeism between the two groups. We suspect that different behaviour in case of healthiness plays a role, highlighting potential shirking and moral hazard problems in paid employment."> Using a large representative data set for Germany, this study contrasts absenteeism of self-employed individuals and paid employees by estimating hurdle models. We find that absence from work is clearly less prevalent among the self-employed than among paid employees. Only to a small extent, this difference can be traced back to differences in health status and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the gap in absenteeism does not seem to be driven by different behaviour in case of sickness as we find no clear difference in the prevalence of presenteeism between the two groups. We suspect that different behaviour in case of healthiness plays a role, highlighting potential shirking and moral hazard problems in paid employment."> Using a large representative data set for Germany, this study contrasts absenteeism of self-employed individuals and paid employees by estimating hurdle models. We find that ab">
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Absence from Work of the Self-Employed: A Comparison with Paid Employees

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  • Daniel S. J. Lechmann
  • Claus Schnabel
Abstract
type="main"> Using a large representative data set for Germany, this study contrasts absenteeism of self-employed individuals and paid employees by estimating hurdle models. We find that absence from work is clearly less prevalent among the self-employed than among paid employees. Only to a small extent, this difference can be traced back to differences in health status and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the gap in absenteeism does not seem to be driven by different behaviour in case of sickness as we find no clear difference in the prevalence of presenteeism between the two groups. We suspect that different behaviour in case of healthiness plays a role, highlighting potential shirking and moral hazard problems in paid employment.

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  • Daniel S. J. Lechmann & Claus Schnabel, 2014. "Absence from Work of the Self-Employed: A Comparison with Paid Employees," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 368-390, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:kyklos:v:67:y:2014:i:3:p:368-390
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    1. Ángel L. Martín-Román & Alfonso Moral & Sara Pinillos-Franco, 2024. "Are women breaking the glass ceiling? A gendered analysis of the duration of sick leave in Spain," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 107-134, March.
    2. Stephanie Prümer & Claus Schnabel, 2019. "Questioning the Stereotype of the “Malingering Bureaucrat”: Absence from Work in the Public and Private Sector in Germany," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(4), pages 570-603, November.
    3. María José Suárez & Cristina Muñiz, 2018. "Unobserved heterogeneity in work absence," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(8), pages 1137-1148, November.
    4. Schnabel Claus, 2016. "United, Yet Apart? A Note on Persistent Labour Market Differences between Western and Eastern Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 236(2), pages 157-179, March.
    5. Boris HirschBy & Daniel S. J. Lechmann & Claus Schnabel, 2017. "Coming to work while sick: an economic theory of presenteeism with an application to German data," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 1010-1031.
    6. Dawson Chris & Veliziotis Michail & Hopkins Benjamin, 2014. "Assimilation of the migrant work ethic," Working Papers 20141407, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    7. Liesbeth E C Wijnvoord & Sandra Brouwer & Jan Buitenhuis & Jac J L van der Klink & Michiel R de Boer, 2016. "Indications of a Scarring Effect of Sickness Absence Periods in a Cohort of Higher Educated Self-Employed," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-9, May.
    8. Hirsch, Boris & Merkl, Christian & Müller, Steffen & Schnabel, Claus, 2014. "Centralized vs. decentralized wage formation: The role of firms' production technology," Kiel Working Papers 1927, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    9. Darin F. Ullman, 2017. "The Effect of Medical Marijuana on Sickness Absence," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(10), pages 1322-1327, October.
    10. Alan Piper & David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson, 2023. "Is pain associated with subsequent job loss? A panel study for Germany," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 141-158, February.
    11. Stijn Baert & Bas van der Klaauw & Gijsbert van Lomwel, 2018. "The effectiveness of medical and vocational interventions for reducing sick leave of self‐employed workers," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 139-152, February.
    12. Mark L. Bryan & Andrew M. Bryce & Jennifer Roberts, 2021. "The effect of mental and physical health problems on sickness absence," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(9), pages 1519-1533, December.
    13. Stephan, Ute & Tavares, Susana M. & Carvalho, Helena & Ramalho, Joaquim J.S. & Santos, Susana C. & van Veldhoven, Marc, 2020. "Self-employment and eudaimonic well-being: Energized by meaning, enabled by societal legitimacy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(6).

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    JEL classification:

    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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