Does economic skills obsolescence increase older workers’ absenteeism?

Objectives - This paper is the first multidisciplinary study into the impact of new skill requirements in the job on
absenteeism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether economic skills obsolescence (ESO) increased
both absence frequency and average duration mediated by burnout and/or work engagement.
Methods - A longitudinal study was conducted on data from the Dutch Study on Transitions in Employment,
Ability and Motivation (N=4493). Structural equation modelling was used to test the specific direct and indirect
effects of ESO on absence frequency and average duration, followed by bootstrapping to compute the confidence
intervals.
Results - ESO at baseline had a positive relationship with burnout at follow-up. In turn, burnout was positively
related to both absence frequency and average absence duration at follow-up. The bootstrap indirect effect
test showed that ESO had a significant positive indirect effect, via burnout and (lower) work engagement, on
absence frequency and average duration. Furthermore, ESO at baseline was negatively related to work engagement
at follow-up. Work engagement, in turn, was negatively related to absence frequency and average duration
at follow-up. The bootstrap test showed that ESO had a significant indirect effect, via work engagement, on
absence frequency.
Conclusion - ESO is associated with subsequent absence frequency and average duration of workers, both mediated
by burnout and decreased work engagement.