ABSTRACTIntroduction The workplace absenteeism is one of the main problems that exists at managerial level, be they companies providing services or production companies since it influences negatively in achieving their goals and mission. Worse, the situation has unfavorable implications for the worker, who suffers the adverse effects of illness. Main objective: To establish the prevalence of workplace absenteeism and the demographic and occupational characteristics of the personnel assigned to a government-owned enterprise in Pitalito Huila, in 2016. Methodology: Cross sectional study with secondary information belonging to a group of workpeople with absenteeism due to illness in a state institution in 2016. Socio-demographic and labor variables and the medical diagnoses that generated absenteeism were included. For the statistical analysis, there were used absolute frequencies and percentages, central tendency measures and dispersion measures. Result: The population of the study was 180 workers, 166 (92. 3 %) of them were males and 14 (7. 7 %) females aged between 18 and 44 years with a prevalence of absenteeism of 30 %, which yielded 433 days of labor absence, being the musculoskeletal system the main cause for this population, with a 24. 1 per cent associated with accidents at work in the first record of work incapacity. Conclusion: The prevalence of workplace absenteeism was high generating an economic impact in the company and a labor surcharge in the personnel that must compensate for functions of absentees.
