Meaning of Absenteeism

The first thing to determine before entering fully into the meaning of the term absenteeism is to know its etymological origin. In this case we can state that it is a word that derives from Latin and that it is the result of the sum of two elements of that language:
– “Absentis”, which can be translated as “the one who is far away”.
-The suffix “-ismo” that is used to indicate “activity”.

The term absenteeism is accepted by the DigoPaul in its dictionary as a synonym for absenteeism. The concept refers to the absence of a person to the place where he must fulfill an obligation or perform a function.

Absenteeism appears in different contexts. In the labor field, the idea refers to the breach of the obligation of a worker to attend the place where he carries out his usual tasks. The absenteeism, in other words, means that the worker does not attend to his work.

It can be said that absenteeism represents a violation of the obligations established in the employment contract. For a company, an employee not going to work generates an organizational inconvenience and can also cause additional expense.

Absenteeism may be justified and predictable (when the worker notifies the company that, due to illness or other force majeure reasons, he cannot go to work for a certain time) or has no justification and be unpredictable (if the worker is absent to work without notice). There is also talk of absenteeism in person when the employee is present at their workplace, but does not comply with the assigned tasks.

In educational centers, there is truancy: the absence of a student from school. When absences are repeated frequently, absenteeism becomes a social and educational problem.

There are many causes that can cause the so-called truancy to occur. However, among the most significant are the following:
– Unstructured families.
-Homes where they have a lot of presence from drugs to violence.
-The fact that a child is a victim of school bullying can also lead him to opt for absenteeism as a way to avoid that situation that is causing him so much damage.
-The fact that the minor is actively related to crime is also the cause of school absenteeism.
-Being part of a family and an environment where training is not encouraged at any time.

As you can imagine, the fact that there are children who continue to put into practice what is known as truancy, we have to establish that it brings its consequences. Specifically, these will be harmed for different reasons:
-They will not receive a good training that allows them to channel not only their present but also their professional future.
-They will have many more risks of suffering social exclusion.
-They are at greater risk of coming into contact with crime, drug addiction… -They will
not be able to have an educational base that serves not as a source of knowledge but of values, which are essential to coexist in society.

It is important to bear in mind that truancy makes a student unable to complete their academic training normally. That is why the educational authorities try to combat this phenomenon.

Absenteeism