Sickness absence is a complex phenomenon that cannot be explained solely by motivational or health-related factors but requires a comprehensive consideration of psychosocial work characteristics. The aim of this master’s thesis was to examine how job demands and job resources within the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model are associated with sickness absence and to investigate the role of burnout, work engagement, and illnesses or injuries in predicting the duration and frequency of absence. The study included 441 employees from various organizations, and the data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The results demonstrated the important role of the strain process in explaining sickness absence, as job demands were associated with burnout, which in turn was associated with longer absence duration. Job resources emerged as an important protective factor, as they were associated with lower levels of burnout. Contrary to expectations, the motivational process was not confirmed, as work engagement was not associated with absence frequency. Furthermore, the predictors of absence duration and frequency did not differ significantly, suggesting an overlap of different processes underlying sickness absence. Additional analyses showed that illnesses and injuries were associated with longer absence duration and that job demands were associated with a higher likelihood of their occurrence; however, the mediating role of illnesses and injuries was not examined in this study. The findings contribute to the understanding of sickness absence as a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by psychological, organizational, and health-related factors, and provide directions for future research and the development of preventive measures within organizations.
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