Employees who take long spells of sick leave are at a higher risk of death than their colleagues who take no absence, particularly if their sick leave is due to circulatory or psychiatric problems or for surgery. The findings are based on the sickness absence records of 6,478 civil servants between 1985 and 1988, and causes of death until 2004.rnResearch from the Whitehall II study found that nearly all major diagnoses for certificated absence were associated with increased mortality; the only exception being musculoskeletal conditions. Around 30% of participants who had at least one medically certified sickness absence spell lasting longer than seven days over a three-year period increased their risk of premature death by 66%.
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