Implications of Psychosocial Risk Factors on Absenteeism from Work in the Education Sector

Abstract

Currently, work environments impose demands that can compromise the psychological well-being of workers and, at the same time, increase work absenteeism. This article presents the results of an investigation conducted with higher education teachers, in which the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and work absenteeism was analyzed through a correlational design with a quantitative approach. Intra-labor, extra-labor, and individual conditions of each teacher, and how these can influence their mental and physical health, generating work absences that affect both the educational sector and students, were examined. The measurement was carried out through the application of the Psychosocial Risk Battery of the Ministry of Labor of Colombia, where risks such as stress, academic workload, interpersonal relationships, and job insecurity that can affect the mental health of teachers were identified. Theoretical perspectives by Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1990) with their Demand-Control model, and Tatamudez Tarapues, Domínguez & Matabanchoy (2018), addressing the issue of work absenteeism, were considered. The findings highlight the need to implement preventive strategies to mitigate their effects on health and optimize human talent management in academic institutions.