Presenteeism is a growing concern for managers and HR professionals around the world. Presenteeism is the practice of employees coming to work but feeling unwell – typically due to a strong workplace culture, fear of retribution, or uncertainty. However, this practice – while well-intentioned in terms of reducing lost productivity – has been shown to have more negative effects, such as on employee health, team spirit, and overall work efficiency.
Therefore, companies need to address presenteeism head-on to create a healthy and sustainable working environment. Failure to do so will result in long-term mental and physical health problems for employees, a decline in organizational productivity, and even financial losses.
Let’s break down the causes of presenteeism and ways to tackle this ‘silent killer’ effectively.
What is presenteeism at work?
Presenteeism is the act of showing up for work even when we are ill and not focused on work. Therefore, we cannot perform our job to the best of our ability. As you can imagine, this can cause a great effect on performance and productivity even leading to toxic productivity.
Sounds familiar, right? We’ve all had a splitting headache at a certain point in time and had to drag ourselves to work. You see, the old-fashioned HR system measured success based on attendance, but today, we all know better.
There are many reasons why presenteeism is bad for business, so here are a few:
- A decline in productivity since sick employees won’t be able to work to the best of their abilities;
- Health and safety risks if employees work with heavy machinery when they are unfit to do so;
- Sick employees can pass on germs to others and make the workplace even more unproductive.
And what about the employees themselves? It can have a long-term effect on their wellbeing and health, especially mental health. Going to work when ill could take its toll over time. In addition, most employees would not take sick leave for mental illness. This is due to the taboo revolving around health problems.
The difference between presenteeism, absenteeism, and leaveism
People tend to confuse presenteeism with absenteeism or leaveism, but they are quite different.
Absenteeism refers to the act of not coming to work even though you are fine. This could lead to reduced productivity, high administration and labor costs, and poor morale among colleagues. The likely consequences of absenteeism are a reduction in productivity, an increase in the administrative and labor costs of covering the absence, and perhaps demoralization and picking up the team slack by colleagues. This could ultimately result in a lack of consistency in the team’s performance and disruption to the project’s schedule. Employers’ preferred solution to absenteeism is therefore to introduce stricter attendance policies, but unless other causes such as job dissatisfaction and work-life imbalance are addressed, the situation will remain a problem.
Leaveism, on the other hand, is the practice of working on non-working days, such as annual leave, rest days, or outside normal working hours. The main reason why people engage in such activities is to catch up with work because they want to continue to meet responsibilities at home, such as family or other domestic commitments. It shows that in most cases an employee would go the extra mile, but in the end, it can lead to burnout and sometimes ruin the work-life balance, with long-term negative effects on productivity. This phenomenon is particularly relevant in the context of flexible working, where employees feel that they should always be ‘on’ to meet expectations or stay ahead.
Unlike absenteeism or leaveism, presenteeism can be more difficult to measure because employees are physically present at work but are not working at full capacity due to illness or stress. While absenteeism primarily deals with a particular employee’s absence from work, and leaveism refers to the misuse of official time off, presenteeism entails sickness-related work by employees, unable to perform their best into the bargain. It gradually reduces overall productivity and can also worsen health problems by keeping employees off sick longer.
However, similar to absenteeism and sickness absence, it can have long-term effects that can be equally damaging to organizations. In addition, it increases the potential for disease transmission within the workplace, further increasing unproductive hours. Employees who struggle through their illnesses can develop chronic emotional and physical conditions, which ultimately lead to low levels of engagement and poor long-term performance at work.
Causes of presenteeism
Before we try to tackle presenteeism, we need to get to the root of the problem. Many believe that the culture of staying late and doing overtime is the cause of presenteeism. When people believe that this is what is expected of them, they try to be seen to succeed. If this is the case, you probably wonder why presenteeism is related to poor productivity when people are working more hours. I mentioned this earlier. In the past, it was believed that productivity is connected to attendance. However, today we are aware that if we sit in front of the computer it doesn’t mean we are doing the work, or if we are working that doesn’t mean it is actually productive work. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not that people want to stay in front of the screen the entire day. The thing is, they think they have to. If we have a culture where visibility is related to productivity and efficiency, then the employees will try to prove themselves just by being there.
Even though this is the main cause, there are still other factors that can cause presenteeism, depending on the workplace and business. These are just a few:
- Little to no paid sick days
- Job insecurity
- Understaffing
- Unrealistic expectations from the employer
- Time pressure
- Harassment for taking a sick leave
- Huge workload
Addressing presenteeism
Now that we know what can be the cause of presenteeism, it is time to learn how to handle it. These are a few solutions that might help:
Problem Recognition
The first step to resolving any problem is to recognize it. When it comes to presenteeism, employers are usually not aware of the damage and loss it may cause. If you own a business, you should make your managers aware of this issue and its cost. Hold awareness-raising workshops or seminars to help leadership teams understand the financial and productivity losses caused by presenteeism. Data-driven case studies or live examples can prove more relatable.
Absence policy Improvement
If the absence policy isn’t handled right, it may cause a rise in presenteeism, especially if the employees experience certain financial difficulties. If we want to change the culture of insecurity and uncertainty that will cause presenteeism, we need to have a kinder approach towards the absence policies. It could be the introduction of flexible sick leave or a clear communication strategy that leaves no employee in any doubt that personal health will not jeopardize their job security. Regular reviews of the policy can help it evolve to meet the changing needs of the workforce.
Workload Reduction
If an employee feels that no one can cover their work, they might feel pressure to be present all the time. One way of dealing with this is to make sure the organization has enough staff to deal with the work. Also, train others to take on important tasks when someone is off. Teamwork and shared responsibilities can take a lot of pressure off your shoulders. A clear system of workload management helps to spread the workload evenly.
Being an example
If you are an employer who doesn’t feel well, stay home. If you think you should be available, do it from the comfort of your home and use your computer or phone. Do not spread germs to others. Setting a clear example of leadership and taking it a step further makes it clear that others are encouraged to do the same. Announcing such practices at team meetings or through internal communications will reinforce this.
Letting your employees go home
If you send your sick employees home, you will discourage them from coming in when they feel unwell. This will make them think that they shouldn’t go to work when they are ill. In today’s world, they can stay in and work from home if they are capable of doing so. Make it clear when people can stay home and provide virtual collaboration tools so people feel supported without compromising their health.
Taking disciplinary action
This is a bit strict, but sometimes unfortunately necessary. For example, if a worker at a store goes to work ill and infects the customers, it can have a serious impact on your overall company. So sometimes, if the protection of the public is essential, you may want to take disciplinary actions against the employees who violated the company policy. Of course, the organization should also inform employees in advance of any future actions related to the policy and its consequences. A compassionate view of the incident, coupled with full documentation, will not lead to a repetition of future offenses.
Providing paid sick leave
This is a must. If you haven’t done this already, then it’s time to consider doing so. This would help you with higher productivity, reduced employee turnover, and it would reduce the spread of germs at the office. Paid sick leave programs can also be bundled with wellbeing benefits, such as flu shots or health checks, to encourage preventative care and reduce overall absenteeism.
Encouraging healthy living
If you are an employee, having a healthier lifestyle might inspire others. Not just that, this can be implemented in the company culture itself. Encouraging them to take the stairs instead of the elevators, paid gym membership cards would also do the trick, and sports challenges as well. Setting up frequent wellness activities such as health fairs or team-building fitness events creates a collective responsibility toward health. These comprise healthy snacks in the office and ergonomic setups that will also positively contribute to the cause.
Examining the wellbeing program of your company
Having a strategic policy that will focus on financial, mental, and physical stressors and give support would help reduce presenteeism’s effect. Counseling or financial management could combat the impact of long-term conditions. Access to consultations for mental health problems would boost people’s productivity. To further refine the program, conduct regular surveys to better analyze employee needs and incorporate wellness initiatives into the design. Offering mindfulness sessions, yoga classes or on-demand access to therapy apps can also enhance the program.
Recognizing the symptoms
Employees with health problems, especially the ones struggling with mental issues, don’t usually feel encouraged to disclose them in front of their employers. In addition, employers are not usually trained to support them. It is important that you as an employer or better yet, your managers, be trained and educated to notice the signals when employees deal with a lot of stress or mental health problems. Indeed, investing in specialized training for managers in mental health first aid or stress management can be a game changer. In addition, facilitating an anonymous feedback channel can reduce the fear that such employees have of being taken action against, as they can voice their concerns without being judged or punished.
Conclusion
An employee coming to work while sick as a dog is no longer acceptable. The costs of such actions are a drain on the financial wellbeing of the company. Employers should focus on making an effort to create a workspace with highly functional and healthy employees. This will enable the company to achieve its goals for profit and productivity and to foster a healthy working environment for the employees. Making changes in training and addressing the issues in the workplace will create a healthier and more motivated workforce in the long run.
Making health a priority is worth it for both the organizations and the people.
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