Nervous workers show signs of presenteeism
Determined to get that project done on time, even though you feel like crap? Worried about staying home lest your boss think that you're not totally committed to your job? Or maybe you don't have any paid sick days to begin with?
If that sounds familiar, you're probably guilty of "presenteeism" — the insidious act of showing up at work even though you should be at home getting over whatever it is that ails you.
Presenteeism isn’t as obvious to spot as absenteeism, because it’s harder to tell how much an illness affects a person's performance than to know how often someone simply doesn’t show up for work.
One American study suggested that presenteeism costs the U.S economy up to $150 billion a year, thanks to workers who perform well below their usual levels all the while passing on their ailments to their co-workers.
1. Consider offering reasonable paid sick days. Money is tight – for many, “toughing” out the day at work when sick is preferable to losing the day’s wage.
2. Educate employees. Many employees are worried about the stigma of calling in sick, and feel they’re demonstrating a commitment to work if they come in when under the weather. Encourage employees to stay home when sick.
3. Consider sending sick employees home. If an employee comes to work and is clearly ill, consider educating them about the policy, and sending them home.
4. Institute a telecommuting policy. A telecommuting policy balances the need to address urgent matters or attend important meetings remotely, with the need to protect the health of others in the office.
Do you have an employee or a colleague who continually shows up to work coughing and spreading their germs? Does anybody do anything? Or are you the culprit?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
* Follow Gordon on Twitter here.
Posted by: Lionel | May 11, 2021 9:25:30 AM
There were times when I had been forced to deal with bully at work in such delicate ways that friendship was developped. Now that I am retired, all that is over.The tune is changed now and the police is now my preditor.The following site www.ourenemy.wordpress.com will show how wicked a supervisor of police has been and continues to be if you should click on Lionel speaks.
Thanks.
Posted by: J.A.P. | May 11, 2021 11:00:44 AM
I just feel that at my work place I am treated differently because i am the only minority in the office and they always find faults, but when anyone else does the same thing they don't even comment on it. They expect so much out of me that I'm so tired and I no longer want to be here. They look at me differently and they treat me differently. My manager doesn't have my back and his manager is always finding things that I do wrong, compared to all the things Ihave accomplished, done on time and have given them more recognition by being appreciated by customers. It hurts very much.
Posted by: John | May 12, 2021 12:02:42 PM
No one ever shows up at my work place sick. Furthermore, I haven't been sick in over 30 years. If I were sick, however unlikely that would be, I would definitely show up for work!!! Why? I work out of my home. My boss, whom I have never met, sits in an office 2,500 km away.
Posted by: John | May 13, 2021 1:03:47 AM
If your sick STAY HOME
You should have the respect for other people to stay away and not make others sick.
I worked in customer service (Tim Hortons, gas stations, convenience stores ect ect)
and I had tons of people come in sick and I came down sick a few times a year thanks to them.
I stayed home and lost money at a job that I could barely afford to survive on because some disrespectful idiot who figures their life is more important then everyone around them decided they needed to go out for a newspaper to make sure they didn't miss anything that may have happened somewhere they didn't hear about.
Last thing I will say is this IF YOUR SICK STAY HOME, SLEEP, RECOVER AND EAT PROPER.
The house will not explode if your not at 100% for a day and actually take some time for yourself (however make sure your 12 year old isn't trying to "fix" the furnace), if you have done any half decent parenting you kids should be able to function without needing you doing everything for a day and may even enjoy helping you out when your sick.
Posted by: Jack | May 14, 2021 6:06:00 PM
@John (the second one)... "If your sick STAY HOME"!!! Where did you learn English? It should be: "If you're sick, STAY HOME".... The rest of your rant (note the correct use of the word "your") makes me wonder how a developed country like ours can produce such illiterates.
Posted by: Tired | May 15, 2021 4:20:38 PM
as for J.A.P. your story has nothing to do with staying home when your sick however if you rephrase your story about how they look at your mistakes instead of the work you do that when you are sick they come down on you more as my workplace does the same. As for John not everybody makes a shit load of money and there are some companies that expect you there even if you are sick, they say you should be on your deathbed not to come in.
I worked in retail for 24 years and know more than anybody. I agree stay home when your sick but unfortunately companies will not hesitate to let you go because you take time off work. They consider you replaceable.
besides what country do you live in we are in CANADA where people dont give too flying craps about you. There is too many people who come to our COUNTRY and are not EDUCATED on matters.
Posted by: Tired | May 15, 2021 4:26:08 PM
should be manners not matters
Posted by: it is a matter of opinion | May 15, 2021 5:41:28 PM
I think we have all gone into work when we were not feeling great. A woman I work with gets mad when people come in with a headcold to our place of business. In a perfect world we could all put our lives on hold and stay home every time we get the sniffles. This is the real world. Most people can't stay home for the duration of a cold, and most employers would not be thrilled if they did. My place of employment does not have a sick day policy, but my employer, knowing he has loyal and reliable employees does pay us on the occasional day we are off due to illness because he knows we do not abuse the priviledge. It is too bad that many employees abuse sick day priviledges and are sick the exact number of days they are allowed sick payment for. I can understand why small businesses hesitate to pay for sick days BUT if they have a faithful employee who doesn't let them down they should reward them with payment for the occasional sick day. Good employees are hard to find.
Posted by: Jamie | May 15, 2021 6:01:37 PM
@ John: actually, you don't just spread germs about when you show up sick. You're spreading them around days before you even have any illness-like symptoms and know you are sick.
For me, I'm in an industry that makes it very difficult to not show up sick to work. There's actually hell to pay if you're sick and want to take a day off? The "industry"? Teaching.
When you're a teacher and need to take a day off, it means intensive preparation (much more than if you were going to be teaching the lesson yourself) for a substitute teacher. Remembering all the while that the teacher is sick, which do you want to do? Spend three times more preparing a lesson for someone else to teach or just do the usual preparation and teach the lesson yourself?
I know it's not right (for both me and everyone else), but that's the way the system is set up.
Jamie
http://xpunch.com
Posted by: Jeff | May 15, 2021 8:59:46 PM
I have more respect for people who suck it up and come into work sick rather calling in everytime they have a runny nose....
Posted by: JD | May 15, 2021 10:14:23 PM
I've gone into work sick already a couple of times this year. Why? I can't afford to take a day off, and my company doesn't give us sick days, or allow us to use a banked time, or a floater day if we're sick. We need to book time off in advance. I told one boss I was going to be sick next September 20 and he didn't even see the sarcasm. Ridiculous. We used to be able to use banked time or a floater day if sick, but after a labor dispute, suddenly we can't do that anymore. When we were allowed, I took 2 days off in the previous 2 years for illness. Now that I can't, I went to work one day with a cold, and another with strep throat. If I gave strep throat to anyone else (I didn't) I didn't care. If the worst company I ever worked for gave 6 paid sick days a year, I can't understand why the best job I've had can't let us take 1 or 2 days a year sick leave. So, I'm going to work unless I can't even get out of bed. If anyone else at work gets sick, tough darts. They, and my company, aren't paying my bills.
Posted by: CuckholdDon | May 15, 2021 11:15:33 PM
JD & tired are right on the money!
The way the workpaces(Large& Small) have become - We the workers, have few (if any) "Real Workers Rights" Anymore!
Take time off work& they cut your hrs. or find other ways to punish you!
Companys(Large& small are contracting out work so it's easier to Dump people!
They have(by contracting out folks) even managed to pay less than minimum wage(in some cases)!
Or like Tim Hortons,Most any restraunt or retail bussness-(large coporation or small bus.-makes no differance)--They will just say Quit if you don't like it & give you so few hrs. that you can afford even a couple hrs off(let alone a day or 3!(heel they will scheadual you for a shift& send you home early (without pay) if they are not busy!
( Fuuny)--Owners& or shareholders continue to live higher&higher standards of living& the workers get Lower standards of living-While Telling us they can't afford to give benifits or raises to keep up to the cost of living!(this is Really noticeable with SMALL companys)
For yrs. companys& wealthy folks were convincing us that unions were greedy& evil--So, sucessive Conservitive/Republican Goverments made union busting easier& removed workers rights-So the rich could get richer!
Mabe it's time once again for workers to re-evaluate the "Nesesity "& Value of unions!