Tackling presenteeism

Presenteeism – showing up to work despite being unwell – is on the rise. A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found 83 per cent of respondents had observed presenteeism in their organisation while a quarter believed the problem was worse than the previous year. UK employees take half the amount of sick days than in 1993 but this is not necessarily down to low sickness rates. Instead it points to the fact people are increasingly sidelining both mental and physical health problems in favour of being “seen” at work.

1. Understand the problem. Presenteeism is a widespread, unaddressed issue. A workplace culture where employees feel stressed and obliged to attend is often more costly than absenteeism. By encouraging sick employees to show up, you increase the risk of them infecting the rest of the team. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, contagious illnesses spread quickly in enclosed spaces and could have serious consequences for vulnerable staff members. In the absence of downtime to rest and recuperate, an employee’s recovery is stretched out and output is affected.