Presenteeism - At work and outside work at the same time

When people are not doing well, they do not excel at their best. This phrase represents the meaning of Presenteeism. It is the phenomenon whereby the worker, because of the lack of health, body or mind, is present at the workstation, sometimes even exceeding the predefined schedule, without showing effective productivity from this presence.

The concept of Presenteeism explains why people, who are physical present at the workplace, are unable to perform their full duties, due to physical or psychological problems – "At work but out of it". (Hemp, 2004, p 1).

Installed in the business culture, it requires a change in the business culture in order to eliminate Presenteeism. To eradicate it, it is necessary to recognise that the employee’s productivity, like their own initiative and their ability to think outside the box, does not stem from the number of hours they are at work, but from the quality of their commitment and their identification with their work.

Previously defined as "coming to work when you are sick", the concept has evolved to include a wide range of behaviours detrimental to the way we work. Today, it covers employees who arrive early and stay late to show commitment; those who work during holidays and those who answer e-mails at all hours. These are all fostering an unhealthy attitude towards work with a strong work ethic and to the detriment of their personal well-being.

According to researchers, presenteeism is not about faking an illness (faking being sick to avoid work obligations) or having fun at work (surfing the internet when you should be preparing a report). The term, which is gaining some popularity, refers to the loss of productivity resulting from real health problems.

Research of the phenomenon shows that employees do not take work lightly; most need and want to continue working if they can.

Many of the health problems, which cause presenteeism are of a benign nature (serious health conditions force workers to stay at home for long periods of time). On a physical level, musculoskeletal disorders (back pain and arthritis), headaches, chronic pain and respiratory problems prevail. In the psychosomatic field, anxiety, depression, stress and attention deficit disorders stand out.

Difference between absenteeism and presenteeism

Absenteeism is easy to quantify, it occurs when employees are not at work due to unplanned circumstances such as illness, deaths in the family, problems at home or others. The employee is known to have zero productivity.

Presenteeism is more difficult to quantify. Employees go to work, are physically present at their workstations, but are not productive.

According to Deloitte's January 2020 mental health report, presenteeism costs businesses in the UK £29 billion in lost productivity, a clear rise in the phenomenon from the study in 2017.

To provide perspective on this figure, the report indicates that sickness absence costs just £7 billion a year.

In Portugal, according to the study promoted in 2020 by the Psychologists' Order on the impact and cost of stress and psychological health problems at work, it is estimated that employees have an absenteeism of 6.2 days per year, due to these health problems.

On the other hand, the Presenteeism attributable to the lack of psychological health will be 12.4 days.

If we add the two phenomena, Presenteeism and absenteeism, these costs rise to 3.2 billion Euros, a number with a tendency to increase, considering what is happening in other countries.

Causes of presenteeism

Sick leave has been steadily decreasing, while the pressure to go to work at all costs has significantly increased presenteeism, resulting in a toxic work culture.

In a context in which teleworking has become part of everyday life, it would be plausible to expect Presenteeism to decrease. However, there has been a rise in so-called e-Presenteeism.

Technology has contributed to an always online mentality and it becomes difficult for employees to disconnect from their workplaces. With news of layoffs, redundancies and pay cuts happening across all sectors, employees feel the need to invest more and convince managers that they are worth keeping.

In a study conducted by LinkedIn and the UK Mental Health Foundation, almost 60% of HR managers believe, that the stress and strain of working from home for an extended period can cause a burnout.

Some even work during sick leave and holidays, instead of investing that time to care for children or relatives.

The example of managers, who act as role models and adopt Presenteeism behaviour and may themselves unknowingly pressure employees to act in the same way. It causes concerns for colleagues, in environments where the presence and absence of some people influences others and especially when there is no back up of functions; the company culture – when it sees perfect attendance as a sign of high commitment and sick leave as a sign of poor performance; stress at work – because most managers are not trained to deal with mental health problems and are not prepared for Presenteeism behaviours by employees, who are afraid of losing their jobs. These are all causes identified for the increase in this phenomenon.

How to manage Presenteeism?

Identifying the signs!

Conduct one-to-one meetings with employees to assess how they are feeling, professionally and personally. If they are feeling overwhelmed with work, this is an opportunity to help them manage their workload and reduce stress. Mere informal conversations with employees can also help identify warning signs.

Encouraging trust and communication

The quality of communication between the managers of the organisation and its employees mirrors the quality of communication between employees. If communication is open and consistent, and the behaviour of the organisation is predictable, the level of trust of employees will be high and they will be more comfortable to discuss and solve presenteeism problems in the team.

Monitor based on performance or work results rather than hours worked.

Some employees believe that staying at work longer hours is viewed favourably by managers. This mindset contributes to presenteeism and – in the long run – can be more detrimental than favourable for the business.

Implement well-being plans

Each company must have a plan to ensure well-being at work, especially at this time. Do all employees feel they are important and heard? Are there Employee Assistance Solutions or other resources that may be offered to them and are they aware of them? If such resources exist, now is the time to promote, evoke or implement them.

Final thought

Presenteeism is a clear enemy of productivity and every effort must be made to eradicate it – by managers and employees – in a conscious and concerted action.

Tânia Leitão Carvalho da Silva

Founder of INHERVOICE – Culture of Coaching