RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Gender differences in the duration of sick leave: Economics or biology?
A1 Martín Román, Ángel Luis
A1 Moral de Blas, Alfonso
A1 Pinillos Franco, Sara
K1 Gender gap
K1 Sick leave duration
K1 Workplace accidents
K1 Stochastic frontier analysis
K1 Occupational health
K1 5308 Economía General
AB This study addresses the gender gap in workplace sick leave duration, focusing on the underlying economic andbiological factors that contribute to this disparity. Using a novel methodological approach, we combine thestochastic frontier technique with an Oaxaca-Blinder-type decomposition to separate sick leave into medicallyjustified and "opportunistic" days. Our analysis, based on detailed administrative data of workplace accidents inSpain, reveals that men and women recover at different rates for the same injuries, with biological differencesexplaining the majority of the observed gender gap. Additionally, we identify that men tend to use more sickleave days for reasons unrelated to health recovery. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers andemployers, providing an empirical foundation for targeted policies that reduce gender-based discrimination inthe workplace and ensure fairer resource allocation. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of thegender gap in occupational health and offers implications for improving workplace equality.
PB Elsevier
SN 1570-677X
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82595
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82595
LA eng
NO Economics & Human Biology, 2026, vol. 60, p. 101573
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 05-feb-2026