Presenteeism: Why We Need to Rethink the Way We Work

Have you ever awakened in the morning and thought to yourself, “I just cannot adult today and I do not want to go to work.” Or, have you ever pulled into the parking lot of your office knowing you have a sore throat and are running a fever, but went inside anyway? Maybe you had a huge meeting you felt you couldn’t miss. Perhaps you were working on a deadline and could not afford to take the day off. Or maybe you were an essential worker and taking a sick day was not even an option. 

Regardless of the reason you think you went to work on a day you really weren’t up for it, the answer is because you felt you had to. And, the reason you felt you had to is because our society has normalized going to work when we aren’t feeling well. Even though you’re at work, you’re not really accomplishing anything. Believe it or not, this phenomenon has a name: Presenteeism.

Investopedia defines Presenteeism as “the problem of employees who are not fully functioning in the workplace because of an illness, injury, or other condition. While the employee may be physically in the office, they may be unable to fully perform their duties and is more likely to make mistakes in their work”. We all know how this goes…we show up to work on a day we don’t feel well. We are cranky. We can’t focus. We aren’t productive. And, inevitably, we get everyone else sick and the cycle continues.

According to the BBC, a 2019 study by Vitality, a health insurance company, found that approximately 40 percent of employees said their work was impacted by health problems - an increase of more than one-third over that last five years. It’s no wonder workers are more stressed than ever. The mounting pressures from both inside - and outside - the workplace are making us less productive, less happy, and less healthy, than ever before. The proof is in the pudding. Productivity loss due to presenteeism is three-times as high as losses caused by absenteeism, and costs US businesses nearly $23B each year. Now is the time to reevaluate your company practices and norms and to push presenteeism to the wayside.

Changing Course on Presenteeism: Communicating with Your Team

If you haven’t come away from the Covid-19 quarantine and work-from-home mandates with a new attitude about sick leave, flex time, and work-from-home policies, it’s time to adjust your perspective. Follow these recommendations to change the way your office thinks about time off and watch productivity soar.

Lead by Example: When company leadership comes to the office sick, those leaders are sending a very powerful message to junior staff that it is expected they show up to work regardless of their health. Show your staff it’s OK to call in sick and encourage them to do the same.  

Promote staying home when an employee is under-the-weather or needs to take a personal day. Have clear guidelines for when employees must stay home, for example, if they are running a fever, have a sore throat, cough, etc.

Change the Culture: Perhaps your company has created a culture that makes employees feel guilty for taking time off. Stop it! Employees are entitled to take sick leave, and they should not be made to feel guilty for putting the health of themselves or a family member first. Help your team delegate responsibilities if they are unwell and cannot work. And, offer team members who might not feel well enough to come to the office but are up to working from home the opportunity to do so.

Trust Your Team: We’re all adults here. Trust your team to be responsible about completing their work. Don’t require your staff to request time off for a doctor’s visit or to take their child to an appointment during the work day. Trust that the time will be made up and the work will be completed. The cost of not trusting your team and imposing rules will not only create animosity amongst your team, but also leads to unhealthy habits and unhealthy team members. Your staff will be more likely to make up for lost time if you accommodate their mid-day appointments rather than scowling at them. Remember, it’s not always easy to get an appointment with a specialist, and most physicians do not offer early morning, late evening, or weekend appointments. Set clear guidelines for your team with regard to personal appointments and when a PTO request may be required.

Remember Your Hourly Employees: Create policies to protect your hourly workers. These individuals often feel as though they cannot take time off. Review PTO policies to make sure hourly staff can take sick time without being penalized. Offering a few extra days off can go a long way in encouraging your team to take the time the need. Paying hourly employees for sick time might seem impossible, but providing even a few paid sick days each year will increase morale among this important employee demographic.

Keep Working Parents Top-of-Mind: Working parents often save their sick own days to care for sick children when they cannot go to school, but will come to work ill themselves. Provide flexibility for team members to work from home on days they are home caring for a family member and encourage them to use their sick time for themselves.

Communicate with Your Staff: Maintain open communications with your team and set clear expectations surrounding health and wellness. Keeping your team happy and healthy will lead to decreased presenteeism, increased productivity, better morale, and less turnover. 

Do you need a communications plan to put presenteeism to bed in your organization. Let Hékaté Communications help you put your team on the path to success. Contact us today to get started.

1 Investopedia: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/presenteeism.asp#:~:text=Presenteeism%20is%20defined%20as%20the,make%20mistakes%20on%20the%20job.

2 BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47911210

3 Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2004/10/presenteeism-at-work-but-out-of-it