Working while sick — why it’s bad for business

Ever drag yourself to work when you’re feeling sick because you feel you have no other choice?

You’re not alone. Personal drive may be partly to blame, but hidden pressure from the workplace also bears responsibility, according to a new study.

Organizations unknowingly encourage employees to power through physical or mental illness, which can lead to long-term consequences for employees’ health and productivity, says Claire Smith, assistant professor of psychology. She dubbed such workplace cultures “presenteeism pressure” in her study, published in September’s Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.

Presenteeism occurs when employees clock in but can’t operate at full capacity because of illness or injury.

“Many organizations are putting pressure on employees to show up to work no matter what, and they aren’t fully aware that presenteeism is usually more costly over the long-term compared to absenteeism,” Smith says.

Presenteeism pressure costs companies as much as $150 billion annually, according to Harvard Business Review.

Productivity drops when employees come to work sick, and workers’ resentment tends to grow, which can lead to a number of negative reactions, including stealing from an employer perceived as uncaring.

To explore the phenomenon, Smith created the Presenteeism Pressure Scale, a tool developed through a multi-level study involving nearly 1,600 working adults. It gives companies a reliable way to measure employees’ perceptions of the pressure they feel to work while sick.

The study also confirmed that presenteeism pressure significantly affects attendance, employees’ health and the organization’s success. Employers should consider examining their attendance policies and “always there” norms using the scale, Smith says.

“We have a new workforce post-pandemic that is really aware of and interested in their health and work-life balance,” she says. “So creating healthier, more productive workplaces is going to become more and more important.”

- Cassidy Delamarter // USF News