absenteeism

noun ab·sen·tee·ism \ ˌab-sən-ˈtē-ˌi-zəm \

Updated on: 13 Oct 2017

Definition of absenteeism

1 :prolonged absence of an owner from his or her property

2 :chronic absence (as from work or school); also :the rate of such absence

See absenteeism defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of absenteeism from the Web

The school closures could jeopardize the progress Houston public schools have made in combating chronic absenteeism, which is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year (roughly 18 days).

— hayley glatter, The Atlantic, "How Schoolchildren Will Cope With Hurricane Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
Elementary and middle schools will be measured on math and reading test scores, academic growth, English-language-learner progress and chronic-absenteeism rates.

— paige cornwell, The Seattle Times, "Before and after: Washington’s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act," 25 Aug. 2017
In determining the rankings, Niche looked at average educator salaries; administration; health and safety; resources and facilities; student-teacher ratio; rate of teacher absenteeism; and teachers in the first or second year.

— AL.com, "20 best places to teach in Alabama," 4 Aug. 2017
Among the signs of a toxic workplace: constant turnover, high absenteeism, lack of positive feedback and growth opportunities, bullying, increased demands and incompetent or abusive leadership.

— doug williams, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How to stay afloat when your workplace is toxic," 17 July 2017
For instance, a principal would get a report on school attendance that would highlight students prone to absenteeism so counselors could start making phone calls.

— tegan hanlon, Alaska Dispatch News, "New Anchorage schools superintendent wins support with student data and an open door," 7 July 2017
Misbehavior, meager test scores and absenteeism were persistent before the day some fourth-graders cut their arms in a gang initiation.

— tim prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Experiment seeks to transform troubled Baltimore schools as federal grants end," 4 July 2017
The rating system is based on various factors, including surveys of parents and teachers and the rate of absenteeism.

— liz bowie, baltimoresun.com, "What will stars in the new school rating system really mean?," 1 July 2017
The goal, Paino said, is not just to measure chronic absenteeism but to encourage schools to improve student attendance, too.

— arika herron, Indianapolis Star, "Beyond test scores: Indiana schools could get graded for culture and climate," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'absenteeism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of absenteeism

absentee + -ism

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1829

See Words from the same year

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

Financial Definition of ABSENTEEISM

absenteeism

noun

What It Is

In the business world, absenteeism refers to the rate at which employees do not arrive for work as scheduled.

How It Works

Company XYZ is a health care provider. It has 25 nurses who are each responsible for seeing 10 patients a day. Every day, one or two nurses are not at work due to vacation or sickness. However, in the past month absenteeism has risen. Now, four or five nurses are often missing for the day, putting a severe strain on the nurses who do come to work, increasing the wait times for patients, and increasing the number of medical errors the nurses are making.

Why It Matters

Absenteeism increases costs and lowers profits because it reduces productivity and often work quality. A similar problem, presenteeism, occurs when employees choose to stay at work but handle personal and family issues at their desks rather than working. Many forms of absenteeism are protected by law (such as family leave under FMLA). Often, however, absenteeism can increase when workers feel stressed. U.S. companies lose billions due to chronic employee absenteeism.

Source: Investing Answers