I had never heard of “presenteeism” up until a couple of months ago as I mentioned in this post. Now I encountered this SM&M article – Working While Sick.
Top reasons for schlepping in when sick: I feel guilty for calling in; my workload is too heavy; I save my sick time for personal reasons like family emergencies, sick children, parent care issues and other unexpected events; and I try to have perfect attendance.
“Schlepping in…?” Another new phrase for me. No real surprises in the reasons for coming to work sick. I did find this paragraph insightful:
The study suggests bosses could do more to stem the trend. “Employees are craving flexibility from their employers. ‘Working 9 to 5’ is no longer the universal employee anthem,” says Stuart Itkin, chief marketing officer at Kronos. “To reduce presenteeism, bolster employee satisfaction, improve workforce productivity, and boost the bottom line, best practice organizations are providing employees with flexibility and rewarding them based on results.”
This trend is booming in the corporate world. We see it daily in our customer base and we hear inquiries from candidates on a consistent basis. Flexible hours will be a staple of the Gen Y work world.