The Effects of a Group Reinforcement Contingency on Staff Use of Unscheduled Sick Leave

Abstract

A multiple baseline design was used to examine the effects of a lottery-based group reinfokement contingency on the use of unscheduled sick leave bv residential treatment workers. Sixty direct-care workers participaied in this study. Researchers employed a group contingency that required workers to meet two-week absence criterion levels in order to participate in a subsequent drawing for prizes. The workers who won the lottery chose one of four rewards including 20 dollars in cash, four hours paid time off, paid lunch with a supervisor, or four movie tickets for use at local theatres. The mean number of unscheduled sick leave hours used in each of five work units was reduced during intervention; and mean reductions ranged from 30% to 80% of baseline levels.