Summary Definition: When an employee continues to show up to work, even when it’s unsuitable and could be harmful to themselves or others.
Presenteeism is the problem of workers attending their jobs, even when they can’t function effectively.
Presentee employees will come to work even when they shouldn’t. For example, they may come in when sick or not needed. This has cascading effects, from general productivity to quality control and staff well-being.
Presenteeism and absenteeism are two workplace problems that harm productivity and employee well-being, but in opposite ways:
There are many reasons why someone may become a presentee. They may be suffering financial problems and need things like overtime pay or might have a difficult home situation. They also may be concerned about being seen as a slacker if they take a day off.
Presenteeism can be tackled through things like:
Employee presenteeism can be either physical or digital.
Digital presenteeism involves a significant blurring of the work/life boundary. For example, a presentee employee may answer or send work emails late at night or during the holidays.
Presenteeism culture negatively impacts the workplace in the following ways:
Presenteeism’s effect on productivity is its direct impact on a business. For example, a presentee may have lower-quality work, which takes more time and resources to fix.
Costs also occur indirectly, such as a sick presentee employee infecting other employees, resulting in loss of labor and poor productivity all around. And a culture of presenteeism can harm overall employee morale and engagement, leading to higher turnover rates.
Studies have estimated the cost of presenteeism to be 10 times more than absenteeism — accounting for perhaps $150 billion per year in lost productivity. This means that for every $1 lost due to absenteeism, employers can lose up to $10 due to presenteeism.
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