For many decades, workplace culture has been the heartbeat and identity of any organisation.
Simply put, it is the ‘this is how we do things around here’ culture.
Traditionally, company culture and employee engagement focused on tangible, surface-level perks and policies such as employees’ dress-code, vision and mission of the organisation. Not forgetting the working hours.
However, in today’s digital age, all organisations should strive to create good energy to have the employees form a deep connection and sense of purpose in their work leading to extra energy and commitment.
Whereas there is an unspoken agreement that attendance equals achievement and absence will equal underperforming, this may not be the case.
Recently, there is an invisible trend creeping up on employees and employers leading to a significant drain on productivity—presenteeism.
It refers to a situation where employees are on the job but not fully functioning for one reason or another, or not fully engaged in their roles as they are supposed to be.
This is hard to identify but costs much more than absenteeism does because when someone does not show up for work, their duties are reassigned.
It is espoused that less time is lost from people staying home than from them showing up but not performing at full capacity.
Showing up does matter, but merely being present — at your desk — is not enough for good performance or job satisfaction.
It is a phenomenon that requires proactive remedies for a healthy work environment and continued productivity for an institution.
Presenteeism may arise where the employees have to work when they are sick, for fear of the repercussions for taking sick leave, being perceived as weak or losing daily wages.
High levels of stress, work pressure, exhaustion or concerns about job security may make employees feel obligated to be at work. This is even when they are not functioning optimally and can exacerbate a number of health issues.
These can be addressed by company policies that give employees paid time off or sick days. Having a comprehensive medical cover plan can also enable staff seek medical attention when unwell without thinking of the financial burden.
Additionally, Employee Assistance Programmes can be tailor-made for the institution where employees can access support for both mental and physical health will be a great addition.
These are initiatives which have been done at various institutions and have proved to bring in many benefits.
A workplace culture that prioritises long hours or penalises time off can encourage presenteeism too.
Employees feel they have to be present to meet work demands, neglecting personal well-being leading to poor or no work-life balance.
Employers tend to praise employees who go above and beyond their duty, work overtime or are available after hours and on weekends.
Much as the effort is lauded, all work and no play makes jack a dull boy. Organisations should strive to value employee well-being and emphasise the importance of taking breaks when needed.
Management level staff being unable to be away from office and coupled with lack of trust or confidence in the abilities of employees under ones supervision, leads to an overworked leadership who then pile the pressure on their juniors, causing conflict and creating a very toxic work environment.
The management of an institution should lead from the front in prioritising self-care. They should demonstrate healthy work practices by taking breaks.
Effective delegation is an important skill to have as a manager as it entails assigning work to team members who have the requisite skills. It also gives other team members opportunities to learn and horn new skills.
The staff will be motivated to work as they realise their input is needed, their work is recognised and celebrated.
Employers and employees are suffering from increased societal pressure which has seen a rise in cases of burn out, depression and in the worst-case scenario, suicide.
That said, organisations should foster a more productive and healthier workplace environment by addressing the underlying causes of presenteeism and implementing strategies to support employee well-being.
In addition, mentorship, job rotation, work exchange and capacity building programmes, can go a long way in reducing the monotony of work, skilling and reskilling staff to inject new ideas on the emerging trends.
Collectively, let us ensure that our workplaces are conducive for our employees to be fully engaged and productive.
HR practitioner and Disaster Management Consultant