When employees' presence at work is worse than their absence

For many decades, workplace culture has been the heartbeat and identity of any organisation. Simply put, it’s the ‘this is how we do things around here’ culture.  Traditionally, company culture and employee engagement focused on tangible, surface-level perks and policies such as employees’ dress-code, vision and mission of the organisation and the working hours.

However, in today’s digital age, amid the changing workplace, all organisations should strive to create good energy so that employees can form a deep connection and a sense of purpose in their work, leading to extra commitment. 

Whereas there is an unspoken agreement that attendance equals achievement and absence will lead to under-performance, this may not be the case.

Recently, an invisible trend - presenteeism - has been creeping up on employees and employers, leading to a significant drain on productivity. Presenteeism refers to a situation where employees are on the job but are not fully functioning for one reason or the other or are not fully engaged in their job roles as they are supposed to.

This is hard to identify but it costs much more than absenteeism because when someone does not show up for work, their duties are reassigned. Less time is lost from people staying at home than from them showing up but not performing at full capacity.

Showing up does matter but merely being present — “at your desk” — is not enough for good performance or job satisfaction. It is a phenomenon that requires proactive remedies for a healthy work environment and continued productivity for an institution.

Presenteeism may arise where the employees have to work when they are sick for fear of the repercussions for taking sick leave, being perceived as weak or losing daily wages. High levels of stress, work pressure, exhaustion or concerns about job security may make employees feel obligated to be at work even when they are not functioning optimally and can exacerbate a number of health issues.

These can be addressed by company policies that give employees paid time off or sick days. Having a comprehensive medical cover plan can also enable staff to seek medical attention when they are unwell without thinking of the financial burden of the treatment. Additionally, Employee Assistance Programmes can be tailor-made for the institution where employees can access support for both mental and physical health. These are initiatives, that have been undertaken in various institutions, have brought many benefits.

A workplace culture that prioritises long hours or penalises time off can encourage presenteeism too. Employees feel that they have to be present to meet work demands, neglecting personal well-being leading to poor or no work-life balance. Employers tend to praise employees who go above and beyond their duty, work overtime or are available after hours and on weekends. Much as the effort is lauded, all work and no play makes jack a dull boy. Organisations should value employee well-being and emphasise the importance of taking breaks when needed.

Management-level staff, who are unable to take leave and who lack of trust or confidence in the abilities of employees under their supervision, become overworked and then pile the pressure on their juniors, causing conflict and creating a very toxic work environment.

The management of an institution should lead from the front in prioritising self-care. They should demonstrate healthy work practices by taking breaks and utilising time off.

Effective delegation is an important skill to have as a manager as it entails assigning work to team members who have the requisite skills and giving other team members opportunities to learn and horn new skills. The staff will be motivated to work as they realise that their input is needed, their work is recognised and celebrated. Employers and employees are suffering from increased societal pressure which has seen a rise in cases of burn out, depression and in the worst-case scenario, suicide.