The Lost Productivity Cost of Absenteeism Due to COVID-19 in Health Care Workers in Iran

Background: Human resources management plays an important role in social development and economic growth. Absence from work due to health problems can make obstacles to the growth of economy. This study conducted aimed to evaluate the absenteeism in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: : This cross-sectional study calculated the lost productivity cost of absenteeism among patients with COVID-19 between February 19, 2020, and September 21, 2020. The absenteeism costs were calculated using the human capital approach. Finally, we applied the linear regression to assess the impact of variables on the lost productivity of absenteeism due to COVID-19 on health care workers. Results: : The results of this study showed that there were 1958 patients with COVID-19 among the staff of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) from February to September 2020. The absenteeism days in our study were 32,209 days. Total costs due to absenteeism were estimated to be nearly $1.3 million, with an average of $95.9 per patient in a month. The results of regression model showed that gender, age, employment type, job, experience and monthly income had a significant impact on the cost of absenteeism due to COVID-19. Conclusions: : We calculated the absenteeism costs due to COVID-19 for the first time. Estimate costs and create evidence-based documentation can decrease the economic impacts of COVID-19 and improve human resources management during the COVID-19 pandemic.