(ETX Daily Up) – This is a phenomenon seen in a large number of companies around the world. Workers are reluctant to take sick leave, even though their physical condition affects their concentration and productivity. A culture of presenteeism that annoys their colleagues, according to a new study.
The Mucinex pharmaceutical survey questioned 2,000 Americans, through the OnePoll polling institute, on their opinion vis-à-vis the reluctance of certain employees to take sick leave. Three quarters of respondents (71%) say that coming to the office sick is a real lack of correction, according to the Tackler site which relays the report.
However, few employees are absent when they are physically diminished. A third of respondents say they prefer to work in this scenario, even if they are beginning to feel the first effects of illness. Runny noses, coughs and headaches are the symptoms they’re most likely to ignore so they don’t miss the office. Worse still, 60% of respondents do not hesitate to lie to their colleagues by telling them that these same symptoms are due to allergies, and not to a bacterium or a virus.
There are many reasons why employees come to the office sick. Among them, the fear of a loss of salary and that of having an overload of work on their return, but also a concern about their replacement by a colleague. Added to this is the fear of being frowned upon by management or, even worse, by colleagues. Indeed, one in ten respondents explains that they refuse to take sick leave so as not to upset their employees.
The extreme individualization of work means that today everyone has their own professional tasks to perform. He therefore bears sole responsibility for their failure, including when his state of health deteriorates. In this context, employees prefer to “take it upon themselves” and make an appearance at all costs. But this extremism often turns out to be most counterproductive: fever, cough or body aches affect the ability to concentrate and remember those who suffer from it. By working sick, you risk worsening your state of health and, ultimately, being much less effective in the long term. It is a vicious circle that contributes to absenteeism.