According to Dr(Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, & Life Coach, “The historian's original sin is "presentism," which keeps him permanently locked in the egotistical predicament”.Presentism is a loss of productivity and performance caused by employees who show up to work tired, sick, or too distracted by their problems to concentrate on their tasks”. It is not a good example of employee engagement, so it is no surprise that presentism is not a popular choice. It does not benefit either individual or work productivity. It can be detrimental to it. Unlike absenteeism, presentism isn't always apparent. It is easy to tell when someone isn't showing up at work. But it can be difficult to tell if someone is ill or has a medical condition that affects their performance.

It is quite natural that employees who are sick or preoccupied may find it difficult to concentrate for long periods of time and stay focused. Even if they are concentrating on something less interesting, meeting new deadlines, or dealing with an unhappy customer, it can seem impossible to maintain physical and emotional health. Even they don’t find time to address their mental health or talk to a mental health professional about their concern through Online Counselling.

Some employees may complain a lot about their jobs to their co-workers. They could, honestly, be struggling with their mortgages, their children's academic issues, or their relationship problems which might be causing them to feel more stressed and anxious. 

There are two types of presentism:

• Employees who come to work even if it would be better for them to stay home (i.e. When they are ill).
• Staff who stay late at work or arrive early to the workplace on a regular basis are more productive than their contracted hours.

Both types of presenteeism can have a negative effect on productivity at work. If you feel it is presenteeism that is creating trouble for you, seek assistance from TalktoAngel's best Employees Assistance Program.

What causes presenteeism?

Presenteeism is now a common culture in workplaces around the world. There are many factors that can cause presenteeism, such as The perceptions and norms of work, the feeling of being forced to work more hours, operational demands, reduced job security, competitive job markets, economic downturn, instant communications, and the pressure to respond immediately to emails, etc.; or low sick pay or leave.

A lack of wellness initiatives can also lead to presenteeism. Your company could encourage presenteeism by allowing employees to work longer hours or not making time for a healthy work-life balance. In such cases, talking to your manager or employer can be the best way to deal with such issues. You can also take help from the Best Psychologist in India to address your workplace issues and seek workplace counselling to manage your mental health and maintain a proper work-life balance.

Presenteeism and Productivity

When it comes to productivity, presenteeism can be a problem for your employees. Although it may seem like your staff is dedicated to their job, they will likely struggle to concentrate and perform their tasks to the best of their abilities.

Burnout can be caused by employees working more hours than they are required to, which in turn can lead to lower productivity. Overworked and stressed employees can make more mistakes which can be detrimental to the business and can affect motivation and engagement.

How can you reduce presenteeism at work?

There are a few things that you as an employer or HR professional can do to reduce presenteeism at work. These are:

• Flexible working hours

The 9-5 work schedule is the norm in most organizations. These are the most common working hours but can cause some inconveniences for employees. An employee expected to report at nine may have other responsibilities, such as dropping off children at school.

This will facilitate their ability to work. To make up for a lost time, they can leave work one hour later than the scheduled leaving time. Flexibility is key to allowing employees to take care of their own personal needs. They will be able to take a break from work to attend to something that is important to them and not have to work long hours.

• Offer time off to employees

Employees who know they won't get paid if they take time off might be more inclined to work without a break. This encourages presenteeism. Allow employees to take time off. Employees will feel refreshed and relaxed if they have some downtime. Make sure that they get paid something even if they aren't working. 

• Promote wellness

Promoting wellness within your company is one of the best ways to reduce presenteeism. This can be done by offering well-being activities for employees. Employees Assistance Program is one of them. Employees can stay fit by participating in wellness programs. This helps to prevent many conditions that could affect their productivity. It promotes mental health and prevents depression and stress. This program also helps employees feel valued, which increases their morale.

• Choose a culture that is free from presenteeism

This phenomenon can be eliminated from all levels of the organization, including the top managers and junior workers. The top managers should address presenteeism. Senior managers should be willing to take time off and sick leave from work, and they should set an example for other employees.

• Provide enough sick leave

You must ensure that you offer enough sick leave to your employees. Employees who know they won't get paid if they take sick leaves or are responsible for missing work due to illness will be more likely to show up to work. Employees will feel more at ease staying home while they heal and then returning to work when they feel better.

• Encourage open communication

Managers should be trained to recognize and manage employees who may feel anxious or are working overtime because they feel unsafe. Employees will feel more comfortable sharing their concerns with managers and colleagues if they are encouraged to communicate openly in the workplace. Employees will be able to request sick leave when they feel sick and then return to work. Employees can also communicate with you if they feel they are working too much. This can help you to take the appropriate steps to address the issue.

• Conduct regular staff surveys

Regular staff surveys can give you a lot more information about your employees, and help you identify presenteeism. These surveys will help you determine what steps you can take to improve their productivity and well-being. As an employer, you can also seek help from Employees Assistance Program to conduct frequent mental health surveys and understand the challenges that your employees might be facing.

Compassionate leadership strives to engage the best EAP service provider in India, to increase productivity at the workplace, reduce burnout, absenteeism, stress, etc., and have better engagement of workers for increasing productivity.

Contribution by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Best Clinical Psychologist & Life Coach & Mr. Utkarsh Yadav, Counselling Psychologist