Absenteeism contributes to a substantial amount of lost productivity and revenue for Canadian organizations and the economy as a whole. It presents itself in many forms, ranging from casual absences—employees off with minor illnesses lasting one or a few days—to longer-term leaves of absence.

In the first in a series or three publications on absenteeism, Missing in Action: Absenteeism Trends in Canadian Organizations reports that the estimated direct cost of absenteeism to the Canadian economy was $16.6 billion in 2011. The average absenteeism rate among Canadian organizations in 2011 was 9.3 days per full-time employee. And, despite the enormous cost of absenteeism, less than half of Canadian organizations (46 per cent) currently track employee absences.