Do not ignore output in favour of input
In some organisations, employees who come to work when sick is viewed as dedicated, and it is held as the norm that team leaders’ soldier through illness to get the job done. Feeling real or imagined pressure to come to work when ill reduce employee morale and negatively impacts physical and mental wellbeing. Make it clear that your company expects sick employees to stay home and recover.
Time for a policy overhaul?
Absence management policies that focus solely on sick leave provide only a partial picture of your company’s health-related productivity losses. Punitive sick leave policies, especially, can do more harm than good as they may discourage employees from taking leave when they need to, leading to situations where absenteeism is simply substituted with presenteeism. Ensure that your line managers understand the relationship between absenteeism and presenteeism, that they’re supported to adopt a more flexible approach to absence, and that they provide support to employees making a return to work after a period of illness.
Be aware of causes
High workload demands can cause employees to avoid taking time off when they need it because they are worried about deadlines or overburdening co-workers in their absence. How line managers facilitate the management of employees’ workloads, and how they communicate and provide support play a big role in the amount of work-related stress people experience. Your managers must be aware of organisational and managerial causes of work-related stress and ill health and have the soft skills to promote positive working practice and wellbeing.
Recognise the symptoms
Employees with health problems, especially mental-health-related ones, often feel unable to disclose them to their manager. And managers are rarely trained to support them effectively if or when they do. It is vital that your managers are educated to notice the signals associated with employees experiencing high levels of stress or mental health problems, and that they feel equipped to have open and supportive conversations with them about their health. Workplace training and awareness-raising of common mental and physical health issues will help reduce stigma and provide people with a better understanding of workplace wellbeing.
Examine your company’s wellbeing programme
Barclays estimates that poor employee financial wellbeing accounts for a 4% reduction in organisational productivity. Does your company’s wellbeing policy consider the stresses your employees face inside and outside of work? A strategic policy that takes account of social, physical, mental, and financial stressors and offers appropriate support will go a long way towards reducing the impact of presenteeism. Programmes promoting exercise, counselling, or financial management can help prevent illnesses and reduce the impact of long-term conditions, while access to consultations for common conditions like sleep disorders and allergies can have a huge impact on people’s productivity.
If presenteeism is not already on your radar, it should be. Making appropriate changes to line manager training and addressing problematic aspects of workplace culture will help ensure your workforce is healthier and more motivated in the long term.
