Sickness absenteeism in a federal public education institution

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge on the profile of sickness absenteeism among civil servants reveals their health and working conditions and provides valuable information for the creation of policies aimed at surveillance of servants’ health. OBJECTIVES: To investigate sickness absenteeism in a federal public education institution. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, documentary, descriptive-exploratory study with a quantitative approach that dealt with the occurrence of sickness absenteeism among federal civil servants at National Institute of Northern Minas Gerais (Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas Gerais). RESULTS: In the study period, of the total of 1,339 servants, 112 were responsible for 150 episodes of sick leave, which represented a frequency of workers on medical license of 8.36% and a severity index of 3.21 days. Sickness absenteeism was more prevalent among servants aged from 31 to 40 years and among women. Education administrative technicians presented a greater number of leaves when compared to teachers. Mental and behavioral disorders were the most prevalent conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research may support the creation of more assertive occupational health policies and interventions.