What Is Presenteeism At Work?
There was a time when companies suffered from the scourge of absenteeism at work. Many workers did not keep their working hours, arriving late or even being regularly absent. In recent years, this practice, which was characterized by alarming losses, has found a substitute. A new trend has emerged as a counterpoint that is even worse than the previous trend: presenteeism at work.
Many workers have been complaining for a while about the difficulty in reconciling their professional and personal life. Taking children to school or caring for sick relatives are priority concerns that must be taken into account.
In the case of presenteeism at work, there are many points in common with absenteeism. Lack of motivation, frustration and poor relationship with the hierarchy are characteristics very associated with this problem. The big difference between the two is that in the concept of presenteeism at work, the worker performs their working hours. The real problem is that he invests part of his working time in tasks far from those corresponding to his position.
What causes presenteeism at work?
Presenteeism at work has emerged as a propitious or associated response to the economic crisis. Fear of job loss causes many demotivated workers to decide not to miss out, although it does involve tedious days of frustration and boredom. Many are those who extend lunch breaks or who when they go out to smoke, use the Internet not for professional purposes but to read or even to play video games.
Faced with these situations, companies prefer to set more rigid schedules and penalties for example instead of stopping and thinking. Company productivity is not only affected by presenteeism at work, the health of workers also has an impact.
De-motivation and lack of goals can cause disappointment in the job, which sometimes is a root cause of depression. The same happens with workers who come to work sick. Exposing their colleagues to health problems, in addition to being of little use, is dangerous.
Unfortunately, some companies force their employees to work unpaid overtime or face dismissal. This behavior is shameful and quite questionable, but the worker accepts it for fear of reprisals. We are therefore faced with situations in which unethical profit takes precedence over the search for alternatives that make it possible to optimize workers’ time and output.
Can presenteeism at work have a solution?
Presenteeism at work, or at least much of it has a solution. On the other hand, it is difficult to obtain by applying sanctions or a strict schedule policy. On the contrary, it will create more stress, anxiety and demotivation among workers who will try to continue with their “escape” by resorting to other methods. In addition, companies that apply this type of measure run the risk of punishing people who are motivated without reason and thus making their work more difficult.
On the contrary, concrete measures such as focusing on strengthening the feedback the worker receives can have much more positive effects than repressive or restrictive measures. We are actually talking about social recognition, group recognition and individual recognition. If the worker feels that others value the product of his work, that the company is sensitive to its increase in profitability and not just to its lost profitability, it is easier for motivation to appear or reappear.
Depending on the position and responsibility, the fact that the company implements programs to encourage free expression and creativity can have positive consequences. What we are looking for in these cases is a change of attitude and not an obedience of the rules out of fear. The more pleasant the workplace, the better the results.
Making working hours flexible is a good way to allow families to reconcile working life with that of their children and thus have an indirect impact on the motivation of workers. A position which allows professional conciliation as it is the case today is undoubtedly an advantage which the worker will know how to appreciate, and particularly if until then, no steps have been taken in this direction.
We believe that if the worker feels happy and satisfied with the job (or at least reaches minimum levels in this sense), the positive changes will be greater each time. It is much more reasonable to devote one’s attention to helping them and providing them with facilities rather than applying extreme policies. The safety and protection of occupational health are a citizen’s right according to the World Health Organization because professional insecurity can cause irreversible situations on the mental and physical health of a person.
Our thoughts Pick a job you love, and you won’t have to work a day in your life. Or how to turn a burden into pleasure.
