Nearly three-quarters of leaders have witnessed presenteeism, where employees respond to pressure to be and seem busy at work despite feeling unwell, finds a survey.
Seventy-one per cent of senior managers polled by recruitment firm, Robert Half, said they saw people come into work when they were ill.
London was the worst affected area, with 83% of leaders witnessing instances in the past year. The north of England recorded the lowest levels, although 62% of respondents still reported instances of presenteeism in this region.
Matt Weston, managing director of Robert Half UK, described presenteeism as “an invisible burden on business productivity”, and added it was “a serious issue for employers and employees alike”.
To combat the problem, 45% of business leaders said they offered flexible working options, while nearly a third (32%) said they actively monitored workloads, and a fifth (20%) offered mental health support.
Weston recommended focusing on employee wellness to shift saying that “ensuring every employee knows the company leave policy, and debunking any perceptions that this leave shouldn’t be taken, is a good place to start”.