Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2015), 88, 61–79 © 2014 The British Psychological Society www.wileyonlinelibrary.com The interactive effect of team and manager absence on employee absence: A multilevel field study Angus J. Duff 1 *, Mark Podolsky 2 , Michal Biron 3 and Christopher C. A. Chan 2,4 1 Trent University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 2 School of Human Resource Management, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 3 Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, Israel 4 Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Law and Business, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Although it is commonly assumed that manager and team absence levels have a significant impact on an individuals’ absence level, research has yet to simultaneously test the effect of these sources, as well their interactive effect on employee absence behaviour. Using archival attendance records for 955 employees, grouped in 79 teams, and the absence records of their respective managers from a large professional services organization, this study considers absence behaviour through the lens and social learning theory and social information processing theory to suggest that absence norms are socially constructed based on social influences of the absence pattern of one’s team and manager. Through the use of hierarchical linear modelling to account for group-level influences on absence behaviour, findings suggest that team-level absence exerts a greater influence on employee absence than manager absence and that manager absence exerts a moderating influence on this relationship. Implications for attendance management as well as future research are considered. Practitioner points  Team absence behaviour exerts a group-level influence on employee absence behaviour.  Manager absence moderates the team absence effect. Absenteeism continues to capture the interest of practitioners and researchers (Bacharach, Bamberger, & Biron, 2010; Bamberger & Biron, 2007; Lau, Au, & Ho, 2003; Patton, 2011; Rhodes & Steers, 1990). This is not surprising given that the annual cost of absenteeism has been estimated at $46 billion in the United States, $10 billion in Canada, and £11.5 billion in the United Kingdom (Parboteeah, Addae, & Cullen, 2005; Smale, 2004). However, the real cost of absenteeism remains elusive, as the hidden costs of absenteeism are difficult to compute. Frequently absent employees have been shown to *Correspondence should be addressed to Angus J. Duff, 55 Thornton Road South, Office 165, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada L1J 5Y1 (email: angusduff@trentu.ca). DOI:10.1111/joop.12078 61