Absenteeism of Frontline Healthcare Workers During Covid-19: the Need for a Framework of Support
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COVID-19
Absenteeism of Frontline Healthcare Workers During Covid-19: the Need for a Framework of Support Omar Tujjar 1
&
Martina Simonelli 1
Accepted: 20 October 2020 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
For the most part, healthcare workers (HCWs) espouse a strong work ethic where people have been making heroic stances in the fight against Covid-19; HCWs across the board have been turning up for work, ready and willing to volunteer for additional hours and duties, often outside of their normal remit and scope of practice. A smaller cohort of these workers, however, has been subject to absenteeism. Within the broad definition of ‘absenteeism’, there are a number of sub-divisions that range from those with clear and fully justifiable reasons for removing themselves from the front line (such as those who got in close contact with a confirmed case) to those who are engaging in what we might call straightforward defection—which is conceivably a very rare eventuality. There are no figures or solid factual evidence in report form that support this phenomenon. The problem does exist, however, and it has manifested itself in anecdotal evidence from our own local experience and from that of several colleagues working in hospitals in other countries. It is therefore important, in the first instance, to conduct research in this area in order to establish some numerical values on the extent and cost of the problem. Having established that the problem exists and begun a process that will go some way towards quantifying it, research needs to be done on the various possible causes of This article is part of the Topical Collection on Covid-19 Dr. Omar Tujjar, Consultant in Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine MD, MA Dr. Martina Simonelli, Consultant in Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine MD * Omar Tujjar [email protected] Martina Simonelli [email protected] 1
Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Sligo University Hospital, The Mall, Sligo, Ireland
absenteeism, remembering once again that this is a phenomenon with various shades of severity. All of the possible causes and effects need to be teased out and from this analysis, a solid framework of support needs to be discussed that will serve healthcare services not only in this current crisis but also in the inevitable crises that are to come. The first set of causes is centred on the responsibilities of family life. Childcare is a significant part of this. The universal closure of schools and childcare facilities during the lockdown left many HCWs without any means of taking care of their children. Those who would normally rely on grandparents to take up this role were often prevented by the necessity of cocooning the elderly. Similarly, there is the issue of elderly care, when someone is obliged to spend time at home looking after an elderly relative whose needs must come before work duties. The conditions of lockdown in most countries have put into even sharper focus the needs of elderly at home and have placed an
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