The links between absenteeism and commitment during downsizing

Reports results of research into commitment levels and absenteeism among employees at Westrail, the Western Australian Government Railway. Suggests that high absenteeism is associated mainly with a group of people who have submitted expressions of interest in severance benefits. Absenteeism rates correlated negatively with measures of commitment to work itself and to the organisation. Seems likely that lower commitment to work leads to higher absenteeism. Commitment measures correlated with attitudes to change and communications, past achievement of personal goals, expectation of achieving career goals, trust in senior management and propensity to stay with the organisation. Makes suggestions for strategies to contain the incidence and rate of absenteeism.