| (prez.un.TEE.iz.um) n | | | | been a part of employee/employer relations for years. |
| Presenteeism, a relatively unknown concept, is the | | | | While that may be somewhat true, the actual |
| complement of Absenteeism. It is defined as the | | | | associated costs of Presenteeism are rising, usually |
| measure of lost productivity cost due to employees | | | | without the conscious knowledge of the employer. |
| actually showing up for work, but not being fully | | | | Those "hide your head in the sand" approaches to |
| engaged and productive mainly because of personal | | | | business operation usually spell d-o-o-m. Ignorance |
| health and life issue distractions. Currently, | | | | concerning any threatening, growing, unrealized |
| Presenteeism is estimated to be up to 7 ½ times | | | | operational problem will indeed be costly. |
| more costly to employers than absenteeism. (1) | | | | Potential Solutions: Employers must begin to encourage |
| Statistically, Presenteeism rears its ugly head and | | | | sick or distraught workers to stay home and get |
| shows itself for what it really is... a costly, somewhat | | | | appropriate medical or professional attention before |
| unseen threat to employers. It is considered a threat | | | | returning to work. Consider funding or partially funding |
| because of its stealthy nature. The term itself is new, | | | | an on-site day-care facility. There are many successful |
| only recently added to our language. Considering the | | | | models to emulate. Consider expanding or modifying |
| following alarming statistics, your business may be in | | | | personal leave policies to better aid employees. |
| danger.o Presenteeism accounts for 61% of an | | | | Expand EAP programs to offer additional employee |
| employees total lost productivity and medical costs. | | | | assistance in a wide range of emotional and family |
| (4)o Presenteeism costs employers an estimated | | | | issues. This also has the unseen benefit of enhancing |
| $2000/yr/employee. (10)o Employees working at | | | | goodwill and demonstrating to employees that their |
| diminished capacity cost employers $250 Billion/yr. (8)o | | | | employer cares about their concerns. While these |
| 42% of employees anticipate elder care issues over | | | | actions may appear to be costly, they are actually an |
| the next five years. (2)o 37% of employees with | | | | investment in your business. |
| current elder care issues have lost work time per | | | | Awareness is the key, the origin, the beginning of |
| week, a total of (11) hours/wk spent. (2)o On average, | | | | finding solutions. Study your operations in light of the |
| employees spent about 8 hours over the previous | | | | previous statistics. Take actions to prepare for these |
| two-weeks off work, related to giving care. Some of | | | | inevitable situations and build their associated costs into |
| that was paid, such as sick leave or vacation time, and | | | | your business model, rather than being caught by |
| some was unpaid. (5)o One of the most commonly | | | | surprise at the end of the fiscal year with drastically |
| requested resources from EAP's are legal services to | | | | reduced profit margins without a reasonable |
| cover estate planning, family law, divorce, real estate, | | | | explanation. Smart business persons will become |
| bankruptcy and other non-workplace issues, | | | | aware of the costs of Presenteeism and take action |
| accounting for 60-70% of all EAP requests from | | | | up-front to protect their business. |
| employees. (2)o 64% of unscheduled absences are | | | | Bibliography and References: |
| due to family issues 22%, personal needs 18%, an | | | | |
| entitlement mentality 13% and stress11%. (9)o 30% of | | | | 1. 1999 study by The Employers Health Coalition of |
| employees come to work at least 5 days when they | | | | Tampa, FL |
| are too distracted to be effective. 28% of workers | | | | 2. Risk and Insurance, March, 2004 |
| took time off for care giving and 25% took at least 1 | | | | 3. Business Legal Resources, April 24, 2003 |
| hour/day to deal with personal issues. (7)o Costs of | | | | 4. New Cornell University study, published in April 2004 |
| absenteeism have risen from $610/employee/year in | | | | of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental |
| 2000 to an average of $789 per employee in 2002. | | | | Medicine. A study of 375,000 employees over a |
| (6)o Of all of the expenses related to absence, | | | | 3-year period |
| unscheduled time off has the biggest impact on | | | | 5. Recent BankOne survey of employees |
| productivity, profitability and morale. (9)o 49% of | | | | 6. Dee W. Edington PhD, Director, Univ. of Michigan |
| employees lose productivity at a rate of 1 hour or | | | | Health Mgmt Research Center |
| more/day due to stress, 40% lose 1-2 days/yr, 37% | | | | 7. Elevated Stress Levels Lead to Presenteeism, by |
| lose 3-6 days/yr, and 23% lose more than 6 days/yr | | | | Richard Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych, provider of EAP |
| of productivity due to stress. 44% of employees come | | | | programs |
| to work 1-4 days/yr when too stressed to be | | | | 8. Bulletin to Management, 12/5/2002, BNA Professional |
| effective, 19% of employees come to work more than | | | | Information Center |
| 6 days/yr when too stressed to be effective. (3)o | | | | 9. Braun Consulting News, 2003 CCH Unscheduled |
| 68% of employees take frequent "stress breaks" at | | | | Absence, Business Insurance July, 2000, and the US |
| work to talk with others. (7) | | | | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| So, what can be done? Some will argue "Do nothing" | | | | 10. |
| and it will work itself out, after all, these issues have | | | | |