The First 100 Days: The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers’ Efficacy and Absenteeism in the United States and the United Kingdom

22 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2020

Date Written: May 11, 2020

Abstract

This study was developed to ascertain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ (HCWs’) efficacy and absenteeism in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) during the first 100 days after the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in both the US and the UK. Efficacy is defined as the ability to produce an intended result or the ability to perform a job to a satisfactory degree. Absenteeism is defined as an employee’s intentional absence from work. Low levels of HCWs’ efficacy or high levels of HCWs’ absenteeism in the US or the UK would adversely affect the inflicted healthcare system’s ability to operate at an optimum level during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the study indicate that approximately half of the HCWs in the US and the UK were unable to perform their job to an acceptable standard during the first 100 days after the first confirmed cases of COVID-19. The data shows that the fear of contracting COVID-19 due to a perceived lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) is the primary factor contributing to the high percentage of HCWs unable to perform their job to an acceptable standard. The data also shows that COVID-19 led to a significant reduction in HCWs’ capacity to perform in the UK compared to the US. The capacity to perform is defined as having available the competencies, the resources, and the opportunity to complete the job. Despite anxiety about contracting COVID-19 and a lack of PPE, the number of HCWs who intended to stay away from work as a result of COVID-19 was low when compared with pre-COVID-19 absenteeism rates in the US and the UK.

Note: Funding: The researcher provided all funding for the presented research.

Conflict of Interest: None are declared.

Keywords: COVID-19; Efficacy; Absenteeism; Performance; Healthcare System

Suggested Citation

Von Batten, Karl, The First 100 Days: The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers’ Efficacy and Absenteeism in the United States and the United Kingdom (May 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3633537 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3633537

Karl Von Batten (Contact Author)

Montague York ( email )

Washington, DC
United States

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