Sickies are declining as employees refuse to take time off
Presenteeism is a problem affecting many workplaces, with overly zealous employees refusing to take time off to recover from ongoing illnesses.
And whilst staff may believe coming into work sick is a sign of their dedication, it is in fact detrimental to the overall productivity and wellbeing of your organizational.
A recent report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found that 86% of companies have had employees come into work when sick. This is a rise on 72% from last year.
“The presence of ill people at work can be more costly to the business than their absence, not only if illness is transmitted to other colleagues, but also because ill employees are likely to work less effectively than usual, may be more susceptible to costly mistakes, take longer to recover from their illness and cause lower workplace morale,” read the report.
Despite this rise in presenteeism, just one quarter of employers that have seen staff coming into work ill have taken active measures to address it, with 61% saying they haven’t approach the subject at all.
Rachel Suff, author of the report, added: “In order to encourage a healthy workplace, organizations need to look beyond sickness absence rates alone and develop a solid, evidence-based understanding of the underlying causes of work-related stress and unhealthy behaviour like presenteeism.
"Without this evidence base, efforts to support employees and improve their health and well-being will be short-lived."
How are you combatting presenteeism in your company? Tell us in the comments.
