presenteeism (prez.un.TEE.iz.um) n. The feeling that one must show up for work even if one is too sick, stressed, or distracted to be productive; the feeling that one needs to work extra hours even if one has no extra work to do.
—presentee n.
Moms don't usually get sick days – whether you work inside or outside the home, you are normally stretched to the limit and life goes on despite how "yucky" you may be feeling. Today, I'm feeling pretty "yucky" – an early spring flu combined with a nyquil "hangover" have me feeling like taking a sick day. But, it's Monday and isn't that the worst possible day to take off? My kids need me more than ever on Mondays and my own work load is the heaviest at the start of the week. As someone who works from home, I am fortunate that I can shift a few priorities and take on a lighter load today than normal.
I've been doing some research this morning on the concept of "presenteeism" – that is, employees showing up to work despite illness. Turns out, employers would be better off encouraging sick workers to stay home in bed. I am a very healthy person and rarely fall ill – this is the first time all year I've even had a cold. But I know that when I am sick, my productivity plummets. I may try to "work through" the illness, but I am slower, pay less attention to detail, and am prone to more mistakes. Sometimes, we can't take a sick day, but we should try to rearrange duties if at all possible to allow ourselves time to heal.
Are you a supervisor, and if so have you created a culture of "presenteeism" in your office?
