The Society of Occupational Medicine has published a report that focuses on the issue of sickness presenteeism, or working when you are sick. This is more common, more expensive, and less visible than sickness absence. In most organisations it is not measured and managed.
The latest annual survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development involved over 1,000 HR professionals. 76% reported observing presenteeism in their office staff, and 78% reported observing the same among remote workers. The average employee spends more than two weeks of the year working while ill, resulting in a loss of productivity that can cost upwards to PS4,000.
Presenteeism due to mental health is on the rise, but it remains hidden because of stigma and silence. The recent elimination of the 3-day waiting period before receiving Statutory Sick pay (SSP), while a positive move, only addresses the issue of absence. Presenteeism is a form of productivity loss that can be replaced by another if we don’t tackle it.
The drivers of presenteeism
Presenteeism can be influenced by a combination of cultural and practical factors: financial concerns and job insecurity; loyalty to co-workers and a work culture that values presence more than recovery. Managers may find it even more difficult to detect sickness in remote or hybrid environments. Sometimes, work can help people feel better. Unmanaged presenteeism, however, can cause a delay in recovery and increase the risk of burnout, long-term absence and overall performance.
Rethinking Occupational Health
Occupational Health is often only consulted after someone has already been off sick. It is a missed opportunity to support employees to stay healthy enough to continue working. OH professionals are able to provide tailored advice to employees who continue working, but are struggling. They can make adjustments, pace work, and provide support to individuals with long-term illnesses, fluctuating mental health or neurodivergent requirements. They are the ones most likely to burn out due to presenteeism. Using OH to its fullest potential is not just about returning people to their jobs. It’s important to keep them healthy enough to prevent a fallout in the first instance.
HR challenges and opportunities
HR teams face increasing pressure to maintain performance and reduce absence. In this context, presenteeism may seem like a quick-term victory. It’s not. This is often an early warning sign for deeper problems: a poor culture, a lack of support and stressed systems.
In the future, organisations that adopt a holistic and inclusive approach towards health at work will be successful. This means recognizing when someone is struggling and not only when they are absent. It also means refusing to reward those who suffer silently.
Presenteeism does not reflect a lack of resilience on the part of an individual. It is a reflection of organisational conditions. It’s a solvable issue–if HR stops seeing Occupational Health as a last resort and starts to see it as preventing the problem in the first place.
