High commitment or high insecurity are the main reasons why some citizens go to work when they are sick. Employees often feel pressure to work when they are sick, which leads to lost productivity, deviant behaviors such as theft and mistreatment of coworkers and intentions to leave the organization or leave work at short notice.
The cost of this behavior, known as “presenteeism,” can be staggering: up to 150 billion dollars a year (135 billion euros), according to new research led by Claire Smith, assistant professor of Psychology at the University of South Florida (United States). The article is published in ‘Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology’.
While missing work, known as absenteeism, can hurt productivity, going to work when sick, or presenteeism, costs even more. The research introduces the concept of pressure due to presenteeism, which is when workplaces expect employees to always come to work. It also creates a new tool, the Presenteeism Pressure Scale, to measure this expectation. Employees often come to work sick because they feel pressure in their workplace.
In a study of 764 workers, many said they worked sick not just for personal reasons, but because their organization made it seem normal or expected. This shows the extent to which workplace norms and culture can influence attendance behavior.
When employees feel the pressure of presenteeism, they evaluate their organization negatively, interpreting it as a lack of concern for employee well-being, leading to lower satisfaction and engagement. This finding was supported by data from more than 800 workers from a diverse set of industries.
The study also found that pressure to work when sick was linked to negative effects, such as more unproductive and even deviant behavior, and a higher likelihood that employees would want to quit. This was backed up by data from 350 workers followed for three months, showing the staggering costs of pressuring people to work when they are unwell.
