Sickness presenteeism at work: prevalence, costs and management

Abstract

Introduction: Presenteeism is defined as continuing to attend work during illness. As a growing health concern, awareness of the factors that encourage presenteeism and the risks of this behaviour is needed. Sources of data: A narrative review of research obtained via several databases, including Medline and Psycinfo, was conducted. Areas of agreement: A range of contextual and individual factors is associated with presenteeism. Workers in some sectors, such as healthcare, appear to be at greater risk. Presenteeism may facilitate rehabilitation and recovery but it can exacerbate existing health problems and increase the risk of subsequent illness and absence as well as impair workability. Areas of controversy: The incidence of sickness presenteeism is rising, alongside reductions in absenteeism. The growing awareness of the costs of presenteeism, especially in safetycritical environments, suggests that it should be considered a risk-taking behaviour and carefully measured and managed. Growing points and areas for developing research: Measuring presenteeism as well as absenteeism will provide more accurate information about employee health. Raising awareness of the risks of working while sick and the economic, moral, cultural and social pressures on employees to do so appears crucial. Systemic interventions to manage presenteeism based on research evidence are required.

Presenteeism, Psychosocial Working Conditions and Work Ability among Care Workers—A Cross-Sectional Swedish Population-Based Study

“…These associations remained even after controlling for ill-health symptoms. Associations between presenteeism and reduced work ability is in line with studies from other countries, although different definitions of work ability and productivity have been applied in the studies [1,7,8,13,15,16,21,30,35,36]. One study that focused on the relationship between reduced work ability and productivity loss argued that perceived work ability is a robust indicator for assessing productivity loss [21].…”

“…A higher incidence of presenteeism among nurses may therefore lead to more negative health consequences, which in the long run could result in negative consequences for health organisations and patients [14]. Working while ill may result in low work ability, inefficient work, and an increase in errors, which may lead to productivity loss and, in the case of healthcare personnel, to lower medical safety for patients [15][16][17]. The costs of presenteeism have been examined in different healthcare contexts, with the findings indicating that presenteeism can adversely affect the quality of patient care and negatively affect patient safety [18], worsen the spread of infectious diseases [19], and delay patient healing [1].…”

Estimating the burden of United States workers exposed to infection or disease: A key factor in containing risk of COVID-19 infection

“…Workers without access to paid leave have higher rates of presenteeism, and are less likely to receive preventative health services such as getting flu shots [22]. Occupational sector also influences rates of presenteeism, with studies from various countries showing higher rates of presenteeism among workers in healthcare, public service, and educational sectors, as these essential services often do not have substitute workers available [23][24][25]. Indeed, a recent systematic review identified occupation type as one of the strongest predictors of presenteeism [2].…”

Predictors of Presenteeism Among Hospital Employees—A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study in Switzerland

“…An adequate description was also used by Evans et al and Johansson & Lundberg: "Going to work despite feeling unhealthy or experiencing other events that might normally compel absence (e.g., child care problems)" [5,6]. Presenteeism is not a new phenomenon, but compared to absenteeism it has not been studied extensively [7].…”

“…They face work that is challenging and are confronted with long working hours. Other attributes that were described for the health sector in relation to presenteeism were the often high specialization of the job and employee's increased risk for stress and burnout [1, 7,16]. Healthcare professionals often feel responsible for their patients, which is caused by a strong sense of duty and moral obligation for the wellbeing of others.…”