The practice or habit of being absent from work, school, or another required place without good reason.
From absentee (person who is absent) + -ism (practice or condition). The term emerged in the 19th century as industrial employers tracked worker attendance and recognized this as a pattern problem.
Absenteeism became a measurable problem exactly when factories started punching time clocks—before industrial work, no one used the word because agriculture and crafts had flexible schedules.
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