Commentary: An ironman mentality is leading many to turn up for work despite being sick
SINGAPORE: Dorsum when I was an undergraduate student in the U.s.a., I interned at the University's Career Placement Middle by assisting students in their chore search.
One time, I defenseless the influenza bug, but beingness the ever-industrious Singaporean, I took some medicine and turned upwardly at piece of work.
Unfortunately, the sight of me blowing my nose twice in the infinite of three minutes convinced the manager to send me abode. My appeals to remain at work were but to no avail.
The manager and then donned a face mask and sprayed downward the unabridged office meticulously with anti-virus spray, equally if I was patient cipher for a viral epidemic. She then chided me for coming to work, risking the spread of the flu in the office. I left feeling rather amused at the whole incident.
These days, I am less tickled.
Most of u.s. are enlightened of the practice of absenteeism, where one is intentionally absent-minded from work. However, what happens when someone turns up at work despite being ill? Professor Cary Cooper at Lancaster Academy identified this blazon of behaviour as "presenteeism".
PRESENTEEISM IS EXPENSIVE
Presenteeism is more damaging to the economy than absenteeism and can price billions annually in productivity loss.
A widely cited 2004 American Productivity Audit-Stewart survey institute that the United states sees productivity loss attributed to presenteeism of Usa$150 billion (South$206 billion) each year.
In the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, the Heart for Mental Health calculated that presenteeism from mental ill wellness lonely costs the United kingdom economic system £xv.1 billion (S$27 billion) each twelvemonth. Most recently, a 2022 report by Pathology Awareness Australia institute presenteeism toll the Australian economic system more than A$34 billion per twelvemonth (S$33.5 billion).
The organisational cost aside, presenteeism may actually lead to poorer personal health.
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A British medical written report on ceremonious servants compared those who took no medical leave despite their affliction with those who took some medical leave when they were ill.
Ill civil servants who did not take whatsoever medical leave were ii times more than probable to suffer a serious coronary outcome. It seems working while ill may cause psychological brunt and stress to accumulate, which can atomic number 82 to a eye attack. Other studies show individuals take longer to recover and may affect hereafter physical and mental wellness.
Why does presenteeism price and then much? The high cost of presenteeism may be attributed to surprisingly pocket-sized ailments such as pharynx conditions, fever, headaches, influenza and cough, according to researcher Hesan Quazi.
However, the affect of working in spite of these ailments lead to poorer piece of work quality, teamwork and lower concentration. These contribute to a reduced output per hour worked and ultimately add up to billions of dollars in lost productivity.
Strange as information technology might sound, by turning up ill at work to display how hardworking you are, you actually cause your visitor to lose more coin than if yous had stayed home.
Those who do may lose concentration more easily, take longer to procedure instructions or waste precious time undoing errors.
For jobs that crave precision and attending to detail, such lapses may event in budgetary losses or even risk to homo lives.
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Some illnesses may likewise be contagious – whether because of the easy transmission of airborne diseases or the spread of viruses and bacteria through commonly used items such as door handles or the buttons on an elevator and the photocopier auto. This in plough causes other colleagues to be sick.
Atomic number 26 Human being MENTALITY
The underlying supposition to presenteeism is that people treat their work seriously and are insecure about losing their job. Quazi proposed a host of reasons as to why presenteeism persists.
For those paid on a per-project or per-60 minutes basis, some plough upward to work sick for the extra salary.
Sometimes, employees face deadlines endmost on them. They might feel they have little choice just to put up with the illness and piece of work towards the borderline.
Others believe in the need to exist visible to their superiors and display commitment to work despite being sick. These employees seek to project the prototype that they are hard workers and team players. There is besides the fear that absence from work for fifty-fifty a solar day would present a rival colleague with the opportunity to shine.
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On a more egotistical note, individuals may exhibit the "Iron Man Mentality" – where one believes missing work is not acceptable and is a sign of weakness - or subscribe to the "Indispensible Man Theory", where the highly committed believe the system cannot part without their presence.
MINDSET Change IS NEEDED
Changing mindsets in presenteeism is an uphill boxing. The employer might feel that the absent employee is a liability to the concern. The employee in turn responds to such concerns by practising presenteeism.
Some Singaporean businesses are taking steps to tackle this result. For example, local company, Concorde Security, a provider of Security Officers, has to ensure that all staff plow upward for work in a timely mode at their corresponding locations.
Failure to provide the stipulated number of guards would event in stiff penalties. Yet, guards who turn upwardly for piece of work ill may not be in an ideal position to do their chore well, compromising on the safety and security of people and facilities.
So Executive Director Alan Chua taps on engineering science to assist his staff. He utilises multiple devices, sensors and visual recognition software, empowering security specialists in a mobile command post to answer to incidents.
If the security specialist is taken ill and is not able to conduct out their duties, colleagues tin can use these technologies to seamlessly encompass their duties without compromise to operational security.
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SOLUTION STARTS FROM THE TOP
Employers must acknowledge that presenteeism is a problem that affects their bottom line. To reverse this culture, it must kickoff beginning from the tiptop.
The enlightened leader should focus on the commitment of results and re-designing jobs rather than value face time. Promoting good for you eating and an active lifestyle among employees will non injure either.
Once leaders set the tone for a mindset alter, they pave the way for the exploration of viable alternatives to back up employees.
Organisations might, for example, explore the utilise of video conferencing to allow sick employees to be present at an important coming together. The employee joins in for the duration of the coming together remotely then subsequently recuperates at home.
Other organisations have also encouraged the use of Statement of Medical Fitness or Fit Notes. Rather than getting doctors to write Medical Certificates, some doctors state what piece of work the ill individual is suitable for or what work they should be exempt.
Those who have been through National Service would be familiar with the medical officer's prescription of "Attend B" or "Attend C" to respectively announce a person's fitness for light duties and complete residuum.
For presenteeism, the buck must finish with organisational leaders. Seeing everyone present at piece of work might give fake confidence when an ill employee cannot contribute effectively.
Ultimately, nosotros all become poorer financially and physically if nosotros miss the forest for the trees.
Dr Paul Lim is a Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources with the Lee Kong Chian Schoolhouse of Business at the Singapore Management University. His research focuses on the areas of Millennials, Mentoring and Resilience.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/presenteeism-ironman-mentality-make-people-turn-up-for-work-sick-219891
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