N.B. tops absenteeism list for Canadian health-care workers

From CBC News:
New Brunswick has the highest rate of absenteeism among health-care workers in Canada while those in Alberta missed the fewest days, according to a Canadian Institute for Health Information study.

Health-care workers in New Brunswick are absent an average of 16.1 days annually, compared to a national average of 12 days a year, according to the study, published Monday. In Alberta, the average was 7.2 days a year.

New Brunswick's health-care workers also far exceeded the national average for workers of all kinds in Canada, who missed an average of seven days of work in 2006. For 20 years, health-care workers have had the highest average of lost work days compared to the rest of the Canadian population, according to the study.

On a national level, the researchers found that nurses are far more likely to be away from work than other health-care professionals — averaging 14.1 days a year. Doctors average 2.8 missed days annually, while those working in therapy and medical assessments average 8.1 days and pharmacists average four. ...more