Martin doesn't miss a beat, coming into work each day at 8:30 am and leaving
just in time to catch his train home. Yet he's easily distracted, and he spends
a lot of time on the phone with his spouse. As a result, his productivity has
slipped. This is what is known as presenteeism, and a new study reveals that
employees may be more aware of this issue than their employers.

A Canadian human resources consulting firm released findings from a national
study on workplace absenteeism, which found that more than half of Canadian
employees view presenteeism as a serious issue within their workplace, compared
to 32% of employers. Presenteeism is defined as time spent at work while not
productively engaged in work, and it can affect an organization just as
absences can in terms of productivity and performance.

The report, based on a survey of employees, employers and physicians across
Canada, also revealed that 81% of employees indicated they have gone into work
while they were not able to perform as well as they would have liked. Reasons
given included physical sickness, stress, anxiety, workplace issues and
depression.

Presenteeism contributes to a culture of absenteeism, which can significantly
impact worker well-being, overall work productivity, and the organization's
bottom line. According to the report, different workplace factors can predict
the reason for absenteeism. When asked to identify the reason for their last
absence, the majority of employees indicated the reason was not related to
illness, which included both mental and physical illness. Those employees were
more likely to report both higher work-related stress and lower levels of
support from their organization for mental wellness.

Further Information

AplusA-online.de - Source: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety