Work Presenteeism

Knowledge Center

Description of Work Presenteeism. Explanation.

All about Work Presenteeism

Join now. Completely free.

All about Work Presenteeism. Join now. Completely free.

Definition Work Presenteeism. Description.

Work Presenteeism is the culture in which employees are working (very) long hours, even in the weekends, without overtime pay. Or they are feeling that they must show up for work even if one is too sick, stressed or distracted to be productive; the feeling that one needs to work extra hours even if one has no extra work to do. They (feel they) are expected to work longer hours and take fewer holidays than the boss demands, to show an adequate commitment to the organization.

Medically, it can be described as the problem of workers being on the job but, because of medical conditions, are not fully functioning. The health problems that result in presenteeism include such chronic or episodic ailments as seasonal include: depression, back pain, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, and gastrointestinal disorders. An example of presenteeism might be an employee who suffers from depression and as a result is less able to work effectively. Another example might be the employee with a migraine headache who may have difficulty looking at a computer screen.

It is a relatively new term used to describe workers who remain on the job but who are not as productive as usual due to stress, depression, injury, illness, or something as simple as a migraine headache. The results of presenteeism include a decrease in the quality and quantity of work, an increase in mistakes, and a work overload on other employees.

Presenteeism might seem to boost productivity by making it appear superficially that employees are working harder. In reality, the health effects of stress on productivity – and the impact on an organization’s work culture – can be counter-productive, especially in the long run. Being present for many hours does not necessarily mean the employee is also very productive.

For these reasons some employers encourage their employees to work smarter rather than work longer. Other organizations may ask employees who normally come in to work while they're sick, to stay home and take some rest.

Presenteeism is the opposite of Absenteeism. The term "presenteeism" was coined by Professor Cary Cooper, a psychologist specializing in organizational management at Manchester University in the UK. According to Cooper, presenteeism follows from insecurity and fear of job loss.

Special Interest Group - Work Presenteeism

Special Interest Group (24 members)

Forum - Work Presenteeism

Discussions about Work Presenteeism.

	Burnout: How to Protect Yourself? BURNOUTS An increasing number of business leaders, managers and workers are showing signs of burnou (...)

	Tips to Achieve a Better Work-Life Balance Yourself Most of us believe we will enjoy our leisure (recreation, relaxation) time more when we first finish (...)

	How to Manage Employees in a High Intensity Culture? Nowadays, combining the intensive demands of the workplace with the responsibilities at home is a hu (...)

	Managing Employee Stress at Work As a manager, how should you deal with employees stress in the workplace? Thanks for your inputs... (...)

	High / Low Status Workers and Stress Levels It has long been debated over whether high-status or low-status workers find their job more stressfu (...)

	Factors Determining the Productivity of Telecommuters and Flexworkers Being present in the workplace does not necessarily make an employee more productive. What about the (...)

	How to Calculate the Rate of Absenteeism for the Nursing Team? In Brazil to calculate the absenteeism rate we use an equation that encompasses the various residenc (...)

Best Practices - Work Presenteeism

Here you find the most valuable discussions from the past.

	4 Ways of Beating Burnouts Burnout is a serious problem for professional individuals, as well as the team and organization they (...)

Expert Tips - Work Presenteeism

Here you will find advices by experts.

	Why Employees Stay: Contextual Factors Influencing Job Embeddedness Employee Retention, Attrition, Organizational Commitment, Employee Satisfaction (...)

Resources - Work Presenteeism

Here you find powerpoint presentations, micro-learning videos and further information sources.

	How to Develop Effective Workplace Relationships? Relationship Management, Employee Relationship, (...)

	Mindfulness and Wellbeing at Work Wellbeing, Well-being, Mindfulness, Motivation, Employee Commitment Time Management, Coaching (...)

	Recognizing Stress in Yourself and Your People Coping with Stress, Avoiding Stress, Emotional Intelligence, Stress Management (...)

	3 Practical Ways to Deal with Stress Coping with Stress, Avoiding Stress, Emotional Intelligence, Stress Management (...)

	Benefits of Teleworking for Telecommuters Human Resources Management, Presenteeism, Performance Management (...)

	Advantages of Telecommuting for a Business Performance Management, Human Resources, Presenteeism (...)

	The Workplace Environment and Aging Issues Performance Management, Two-factor Theory, Absenteism, Presenteism (...)

	Fatigue Management as Responsibility of Employer and Employee Fatigue Management, Human Resource Management, Absenteeism, Two Factor Theory, Commitment (...)

Special Interest Group Leader

You here? Sign up for free

Return to Management Hub: Human Resources

More on Management | Return to Management Dictionary |

This ends our Work Presenteeism summary and forum.