The problem of presenteeism

When people show up for work, that's good, isn't it?

It's fantastic when fit, healthy, enthusiastic people show up for work.

But it's terrible when unwell, sick, tired, bored, scared people turn up at the office day after day.  Here's what they achieve:

• They pass on their germs and illnesses
• They make their colleagues fearful about going off sick with what they've got
• By turning up for work when they're unwell, they make everyone else think they should do the same

Why on earth do they do this?  Why would anyone ever think they should come to work when they're unwell instead of staying at home?  Maybe it's because of:

• Draconian HR policies that put people in fear of dismissal if they take too many sick days off
• Tracking 'average working days lost' rather than caring about the people concerned
• Overwork, and fear of a backlog building up
• Inability to ask for help
• Workplace culture

As you can see, one thing feeds off another.  Plant one seed of fear in someone's mind, and you can watch it take over not just their way of thinking but potentially your entire workforce.

How to stop it?  You need to break the cycle somewhere.  Value health, value wellness, value wellbeing - but above all, value your people.

For help with employee engagement and breaking the presenteeism cycle, get in touch with Andrew at Qryztal Consulting.

Phone/WhatsApp: 07398 200318

Email: info@qryztal.com