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Introducing presenteeism -

While it describes a phenomenon that has plagued many industries for decades, the term "presenteeism" is only now coming into common parlance.

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Defining the term -

At a high level, presenteeism is the act of continuing to work, despite (sometimes highly) reduced productivity levels and/or negative consequences.

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Pre-pandemic -

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, cultures of presenteeism meant that employees would leave the office at 11 pm, or even come into work while sick.

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Post-pandemic -

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, presenteeism means that employees feel they have to be online 24/7, responding to emails or merely showing they are online.

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Root cause -

While presenteeism may be problematic, it is understandable. It is rooted in the belief that those employees who are most visible are the ones who forge ahead.

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Very real biases -

Unfortunately, there are some known biases that would suggest this is true. The first is the "mere exposure effect."

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The mere exposure effect -

The theory behind the mere exposure effect is that the more times we come into contact with a certain person, the stronger the affinity we tend to feel with them.

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Impact in the workplace -

This is a known psychological phenomenon to which bosses are in no way immune. It is therefore likely that the more visible employees are the favorites for promotion or a raise.

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The halo effect -

The second bias that underpins presenteeism is the "halo effect." This occurs when we associate our positive impressions of someone with their actual character.

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An example -

For example, if an employee grabs their boss a cup of coffee every morning, the boss might think of the employee as sweet and kind (which would be right).

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Extrapolation -

However, the boss may also extend the thought to, "That employee is sweet to bring me coffee, they must be hardworking and productive, too!"

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The crux of the issue -

This, of course, is not right. Just because someone makes the thoughtful gesture of delivering coffee in the morning does not mean they are more productive than anyone else.

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Impact in the workplace -

The halo effect, too, is a recognized phenomenon and one that fuels presenteeism because it gives an advantage to those employees who have the most positive interactions with their employer.

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The consequences of presenteeism -

It will come as little surprise to learn that presenteeism has a number of negative consequences, the first of which is reduced productivity.

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Reduced productivity -

While there is a tendency to assume that working longer hours will increase productivity, even if working while sick, in fact the opposite is true.

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Reduced productivity -

This is easy to understand when you consider that overworking causes exhaustion, which in turn affects our ability to concentrate on tasks.

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Sickness -

Another consequence of presenteeism is the sickness and future poor health of employees. Again, working excessive amounts causes exhaustion and increases the likelihood of sickness in general.

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Accidents -

It can also increase the likelihood of workplace accidents, according to a 2012 study by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.

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Accidents -

This study found that workers with access to paid sick leave (and who were therefore less prone to presenteeism) were 28% less likely to sustain nonfatal injuries at work than those without.

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Workplace epidemics -

Last but not least, presenteeism is often responsible for workplace epidemics, which, according to one BBC article, can cost a nation’s economy tens of billions of dollars.

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Workplace epidemics -

As sick people drag themselves into work in a bid to impress their boss and forge ahead, they infect others and create a larger problem.

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Workplace epidemics -

According to a 2014 survey by Canada Life Insurance, more than 80% of respondents said they became ill as a result of an infection caught at work.

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What can be done? -

So, what can we do to combat presenteeism? Unfortunately it is heavily ingrained in both society and our psyche, so it will definitely take some unraveling.

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The role of employees -

A good place to start is for workers to model better behavior. By turning their computers off and leaving at the end of the day, others are encouraged to do the same.

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Breaking the cycle -

Staying late for the sake of staying late creates pressure for others to do the same, and we need to break the vicious cycle.

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The role of employers -

Of course, employees cannot bear full responsibility for eliminating presenteeism. Employers, too, must work to understand their own biases and mitigate them.

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Metrics -

Metrics, too, should be checked, and leaders should ensure people are being measured against their actual productivity, not the number of hours on the clock.

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Difficult to eradicate -

Presenteeism is difficult to stamp out. Indeed, many people thought it might ease as much of the working world went remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Presenteeism gone digital -

The reality, however, is far from that. Presenteeism has simply gone digital since COVID-19 and the situation, if anything, has worsened.

Sources: (BBC) (Investopedia)

See also: Celebrity parents discuss work-life balance

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