ABSENTEÍSMO-DOENÇA NO SERVIÇO PÚBLICO E FATORES QUE O INFLUENCIAM: UM ESTUDO NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MATO GROSSO DO SUL

Abstract

Sickness absenteeism, understood as the worker’s absence due to health-related problems, was identified in this study as a multifaceted phenomenon that challenged human resource management in public administration. The research focused on the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS) and aimed to identify the functional, organizational, and socioeconomic factors associated with medical leave among its civil servants. Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, the study interpreted absenteeism not merely as a statistical indicator but as an expression of working conditions, mental health, and prevailing institutional policies. The methodological design was quantitative, descriptive, and documental, based on secondary data from UFMS and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression techniques were applied using the R software to identify patterns and relationships among variables such as age, gender, length of service, job position, department, and socioeconomic indicators of the municipalities hosting the university’s campuses. The results revealed the significant influence of functional and contextual factors on medical leave and highlighted the predominance of mental and musculoskeletal disorders among the causes of sickness absence. Based on the analyses, recommendations were formulated to enhance employee well-being, promote occupational health, and improve university management. The study contributed to a deeper understanding of sickness absenteeism in public universities and to the development of institutional policies aimed at preventing work-related illnesses.