Every business wants reliable employees who always show up for work, but sometimes, that goes too far. They show up when they’re sick or burnt out, unable to focus or be as productive as they should be. That loss in productivity is the hidden cost of presenteeism.
Showing up for work is important—but so is knowing when to take off. Employees need to find a healthy balance: ready to show up when they can but willing to take off when they need to for their physical and mental health.
If you’re ready to uncover more about the hidden costs of working while sick, continue reading as we cover the basics presenteeism and how to address it in the workplace.
What is Presenteeism?
So, what is presenteeism? A simple presenteeism definition is when employees are present at work but not functioning at the best of their abilities due to sickness, injury, or another condition. The meaning of presenteeism is that employees are too present, working when they shouldn’t and hindering their productivity.
In simpler terms, it’s going to work while sick or injured. For example, say an employee has a bad cold but decides to trudge into the office anyway because there’s a big project coming up. That’s an example of someone who should have taken the day off to recover.
It’s important to note that working while sick is separate from resenteeism, despite having similar names. Resenteeism is rooted in resentment toward work, while working while sick centers around being too present at work.
Signs of Presenteeism
If you want to address employees working while sick, you first need to see and identify the signs. While some might think presenteeism is clearly visible, many of these signs are easy to overlook or attribute to something else.
Some of the biggest signs are low energy, turning work in late, frequent mistakes, and disengagement. Employees are tired, unable to work at peak capacity, and end up doing subpar work and running behind.
Another common sign is negativity in the workplace. Working while sick or burnt out can make you annoyed and irritable, leading to negative attitudes and behaviors. If you notice negativity in combination with the other signs, there’s a good chance the employee is working while sick.
Presenteeism vs. Absenteeism
Presenteeism and absenteeism may sound similar, but they are very different concepts. In fact, they’re actually opposites in many ways. While the former involves employees who are too present, absenteeism involves employees who are too absent.
Present employees show up to work while sick when they should be taking off, while absent employees miss work frequently, often without a legitimate excuse. Employees who participate in presenteeism often have medical problems, burnout, or other mental health issues.
Ultimately, you want employees who are in the middle. They should be as present as possible at work when they’re healthy and able, but they should also know when to take off and get some rest when needed.
The Cost of Presenteeism
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to take a closer look at the cost of presenteeism. Though many employers would prefer employees to show up when they’re sick, that comes at a cost that can harm both your employee and your business.
While these downsides might be hard to see at a glance, they’ll eventually have a big impact on your business and profitability. For example, this National Bureau of Economic Research report found that workers estimate a 23% loss in productivity from working while sick.
So let’s cover the costs in detail, looking at it from the perspective of both employees and employers to get a more comprehensive picture of working while sick and its effects.
To Employees
How does being sick affect work time? For starters, continuing to work can make your illness or sickness worse. It’s hard to heal when you’re still working, and refusing to take off and rest can result in your illness getting more severe.
It can also lead to mental health struggles. Working while you’re feeling sick leads to increased stress and burnout, which have numerous negative side effects of their own. If you’re sick, you should be focused on getting better, not work.
And on top of all that, working sick can negatively affect an employee’s performance. Employees who are sick, tired, burnt out, and stressed are not as productive, creative, or efficient as they would be if they were happy and healthy.
To Employers
For employers, the costs are just as high. Most importantly, working while sick decreases productivity and efficiency. Employees cannot perform to the best of their abilities when they’re sick at work.
In the long term, it can increase employee turnover and medical expenses, and diminish company-wide morale. As employees keep working while sick and get more burnt out, they’re more likely to leave. Medical expenses pile up, and negative attitudes spread.
For employers, these costs are too big to ignore. If you want efficient and productive employees who help make the workplace a positive and attractive environment, addressing employees who work while sick is essential.
What Causes Presenteeism?
Before we look at how to address the problem, it’s important to understand what causes employees to work while sick. A few of the biggest contributors include a heavy workload, job insecurity, poor PTO/sick leave, and a poor work-life balance.
The key is that employees learn when to say no—whether that’s taking a day off, declining to work late, or something else. Mental health advocate and founder of Find Your/self Boxes, Mallory Gothelf sums this up:
“There’s a blurred line between professional life and personal life. And part of that is the work-from-home culture. Part of that is the amount of technology we have where we’re always plugged in at every moment. It feels like it’s really hard to step away from the office, away from emails, away from these things, because they’re constantly in our face. So it’s really hard to set the boundary and say, ‘I’m going to walk away from this. When your boss emails you at seven o’clock at night, and he says, ‘Hey, can you do this thing for me really quickly,’ you want to be a good employee. You want to show that you work hard, but you’re also taking away from your time to recharge your battery.”
How to Address Presenteeism at Work
It’s clear that working while sick is an undesirable habit in the workplace with numerous negative consequences, but how do you address it? You might think it’s as easy as saying, “don’t work while sick.” However, the solution is rarely that simple.
People work while sick for many reasons, and those causes are often rooted in much deeper problems or factors. You should talk to your employees and figure out why they’re working while sick.
Do they not have enough sick days? Do they need more breaks for holidays? Are they worried about getting laid off if they miss a day or don’t work late? Finding out why employees are working while sick helps you identify the most effective solutions.
Offer More Employee Benefits
The most direct way to encourage employees not to work while sick is offering more employee benefits. Oftentimes employees work while sick because they don’t want to use their PTO and sick days. Providing more can eliminate that problem.
A robust benefits package with more PTO, paid sick days, and generous holiday breaks can encourage employees to take time off when they need it. And those breaks can help employees stay happy and healthy while avoiding burnout, making them less likely to get sick.
Also, employees should be encouraged to use their benefits. Let them know they should take time off as needed, whether it’s because they’re sick or they just need a day off mentally.
Support Hybrid Work
Another way to discourage employees from working while sick is to support flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid work and letting employees choose their own hours. This strategy has numerous benefits.
Hybrid working arrangements encourage employees to stay home if they feel it’s best for them. They’re less pressured to come into the office, resulting in fewer employees working while sick.
Letting employees choose their own hours can have a similar effect. Employees can work as they see fit, getting a lot done when they feel good and taking time off when needed. It can also help engage disengaged employees by empowering them with a sense of freedom and control.
Create a Wellness Program
One final option is to support employee mental health and physical health with a wellness program. Prioritizing wellness can make employees less likely to get sick in the first place, as well as help them know when they need to take time off.
Our Employee Wellness Program for example enhances physical and mental wellness while fostering a continuous learning environment via a series of well-being activities. The event helps encourage mindfulness and positivity while bolstering team connections and dynamics.
Support Employee Mental and Social Health with TeamBonding
Employees need to show up to work, but they also need to know when to take off. Presenteeism—employees working when they can’t operate at peak capacity due to sickness or illness—can negatively impact productivity, engagement, retention, and more.
Businesses should support employee health and wellness, encouraging them to rest and stay home when needed. At TeamBonding, we have numerous programs that can help you improve employee mental and social health.
Start supporting your employees and make a positive change in the workplace by getting in touch with us to facilitate your next team building event.
