Preventing presenteeism

Sick people reporting for work not only have a lower rate of productivity, but they pass their illness around to other workers and customers.

By Susan Chesney, CMA

Even if you’re not familiar with the term “presenteeism,” your business has probably been affected by it. Consider the following example. One of your accountants comes into work and starts coughing. As the day progresses, the coughs get louder and more frequent. Eventually, he starts sneezing as well. Determined to tough it out, he makes it through the day, but with little work done. Flash forward two days: He’s at home with the flu, and three other people on your staff have since fallen ill.

Presenteeism is the opposite of absenteeism. It’s when employees come to work in spite of illness. And according to a Robert Half International survey, 80 per cent of employees polled said they frequently come to work while sick. The trouble is that presenteeism can negatively impact the business, either because staff members aren’t as productive as usual or because they make other employees sick, or both. For busy accounting departments, the effect can be particularly pronounced and problematic during month-end, quarter-end and other crunch periods.

Of course, everyone gets sick, and you can’t prevent a person’s illness from impacting the team in at least a small way. But there are measures you can take, both preventive and reactive, to keep presenteeism to a minimum. Here are some tips:

Focus on health. One way to prevent people from coming to work sick is to help them avoid falling ill in the first place. Options for doing just that include:

Promoting education — Information is power, so letting employees know about health trends, new widespread illnesses and any other relevant items can go a long way in keeping them from becoming sick. Consider posting related articles in the company newsletter, or on the intranet or office bulletin board.

Encouraging activity — Offering gym membership discounts, organizing lunchtime walking groups or funding company sports teams are just a few ways to help employees lead active, healthy lifestyles.

Maintaining wellness — Every year, numerous people fall victim to the flu. Companies can dampen the blow by offering to host flu shot clinics in their office or by distributing information about outside organizations that provide this service.

Providing benefits — Some companies may only offer limited health benefits because of the high cost. The cost could be even greater if workers avoid medical care, making them more likely to remain sick for longer periods of time and potentially infecting other employees.

The added value of providing comprehensive benefits is that they serve as a solid recruitment tool. It can make a big difference in your ability to attract top talent, given the still-high demand for skilled CMAs and other accounting professionals. In fact, 20 per cent of CFOs polled in another Robert Half survey felt their benefits packages were the most effective means of attracting high-performing candidates, up from just one per cent five years ago.

Allay fears. Another means of reducing presenteeism is ensuring your employees are comfortable taking sick days. The fear of falling behind can make people come into work while feeling under the weather. According to CCH, a provider of human resources and employment law information, 65 per cent of workers polled said they come to the office sick because they have too much work. Fifty-six per cent of respondents said it’s because no one is available to cover their workload. By having processes in place to ensure there are backups for every employee and that all files and projects are organized for easy retrieval, people will be more willing to take the necessary time off. Bringing in skilled temporary accounting professionals during workload peaks and planning for possible absences among your staff also can allay these fears and increase the likelihood employees stay home when under the weather.

In addition, make sure staff understand there won’t be negative consequences if they take sick leave. They should know that what’s most important, both for them and the company, is to feel better as soon as possible. An important step you can take in this regard is to serve as an example for the entire department. When you are feeling ill, staying home demonstrates to the team that taking sick time is not only acceptable but also preferred. Actions speak louder than words, and coming to work while sick will set the standard for your staff, no matter what instructions you give to the contrary.   

Nip it in the bud. Even if you’ve done all you can to prevent employees from getting sick or coming in when they are under the weather, some might still show up when ill. That’s when you’ll need to be proactive. Here are some options:

Opening your door — Not only does that mean literally opening your door so you can hear if someone’s coughing or sneezing and determine if you should send the person home, but it also means maintaining an open-door policy. By doing so, people can come to you when they’re not feeling well, knowing you’ll respond appropriately.

Offering options — Despite your urgings, some employees may prefer to work instead of going home to take it easy. That’s where telecommuting can become an option. Providing employees with either laptops or remote access to the company network can allow them to not only go home but also get work done while there if they feel up to it. Care must be taken when offering telecommuting options to employees who are ill, however. This approach should be used only when workers tell you they want to continue working despite illness and never initiated on your own. 

Presenteeism is an easy trap for employees to fall into, especially if you let them. But with preventive and reactive measures in place, workers will be much more likely to take care of themselves and help ensure a healthy and productive workplace.

Susan Chesney, CMA, is the Calgary division director with Robert Half Finance & Accounting.  For more information about Robert Finance & Accounting, please visit www.roberthalf.com or call 1-800-474-4253.   

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