Research Question: What is the effect of presenteeism on job performance?

Our project seeks to analyze the effect of presenteeism with regard to job performance and prescription of potential solutions within organizational behavior’s toolkit. Through this framework, our work will seek to build upon the empirical findings within academic literature to date while critically interpreting existent proposed solutions in a popularly digestible and professionally practical format.

Brown, M., & Monaco, K. (2021). Employee access to sick leave before and during the COVID 19 pandemic. Monthly Labor Review, 1-16.

This article presents a study by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics utilizing data from multiple surveys on changes to sick leave policies with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data used compares across many industries and organization sizes within the private sector. General conclusions reached encompass an overall increase in available sick leave/expanded existent sick leave policies across various industries and a general lack of use of available sick days even under expanded policies and the context of a global pandemic.

This article provides useful data on a commonly proposed solution to presenteeism: sick leave. The conclusions reached suggest that sick leave policies are not an adequate solution –at least in isolation. The article also contextualizes the problem of presenteeism with the ongoing pandemic which is a desired avenue of discussion/research within the presentation.

Gosselin, E., Lemyre, L., & Corneil, W. (2013). Presenteeism and absenteeism: Differentiated understanding of related phenomena. Journal of      occupational health psychology, 18(1), 75.

This article, written by Gosselin for the American Psychological Association, presents to us why presenteeism is such a prevalent occurrence in today’s workplace. It discusses the reasoning behind why we see employees still showing up to work regardless of the fact they are not in a right place to put out good work, mentally or physically. It also discusses the long-term effects of presenteeism, such as a higher rate of absenteeism in the future, because an employee was not able to care for their health earlier in time. Additionally, the article talks about how presenteeism is more harmful for a company opposed to absenteeism, and why that is. Gosselin reaches conclusions with regard to little to no impacts from demographic differences, varying effects of organizational factors, and differing results depending on type/form of chronic conditions. He ends the article with a call for further research in light of these findings and discusses potential practical implications for organizational behavior professionals.

This article will be useful for our project because it provides a baseline idea on why presenteeism is an issue in the workplace, and how it functions in relation to absenteeism. We will likely be using it as evidence as to why presenteeism is damaging for a company and why companies should make sure employees are not attending work if they are unwell. It also provides statistics, graphs, and other technical evidence showing which specific health issues have an effect.

Hemp, P. (2004). Presenteeism: at work-but out of it. Harvard business review, 82(10), 49-58.

This article breaks down a wide variety of reasons for presenteeism, including charts, graphs, and other forms of data to illustrate Hemp’s main claim—that which asserts the costs of presenteeism are larger than traditional understandings state and, in terms of productivity, absent afflicted workers may be preferable. Hemp focuses his article on the specific reasons one may not be fully engaged even when they are present at their work. Then, he takes a deeper look at what the long-term effects of presenteeism are, and what additional factors may significantly impact presenteeism that don’t immediately come to mind. Hemp uses relatively current (2004) research done by multiple studies to further express and support his findings through his own research. Next, Hemp adds that the concept of presenteeism is a relatively new concept, and he utilizes that to transition into his final point, that presenteeism still faces skepticism despite the conclusions the research has found.

This article will serve as data and statistics necessary for our project, as well as providing us with a general idea of what presenteeism can look like under many different circumstances and contexts. The conclusion reached at the end of this article will be a foundation for the direction of our project and our other research through its empirical findings and resultant analysis. Additionally, Hemp’s diagnosis regarding the preferential status of absent workers will likely be examined. We will use this article as supporting research and as a general article to draw back to and connect our points with, as this article summarizes much of what we are looking to cover.

Johns, G. (2010). Presenteeism in the workplace: A review and research agenda. Journal of organizational behavior, 31(4), 519-542.

This article opens with a brief background of the academic study of presenteeism while providing a brief overall literature review to date of publishing (2010). Next, Johns critically analyzes the numerous and varied definitions of presenteeism specifically. Johns then summarizes and discusses various operationalizations of the phenomenon through direct and indirect measures followed by a detailing of organizational policies that have been suggested and implemented to combat presenteeism. Additionally, Johns explores purported causes of presenteeism found in existent research. The remainder of the article is spent by Johns on providing further commentary and analysis on the aforementioned aspects of the literature surrounding the theory. The article ends with a sort of call to action for researchers to establish a holistic theoretical and practical understanding of presenteeism to guide future research.

This article will likely serve as a touchstone for our project overall due to its nature as a foundational condensation of academic progress with regard to presenteeism overall. From this work, we will likely draw guidance on forming consistent and practical understandings of key aspects such as definitions, operationalizations of variables, and potential solutions to the problem of presenteeism. Additionally, Johns’ commentary and analysis in the piece may be utilized to bolster the critical analysis provided in the presentation.

Lohaus, D., & Habermann, W. (2019). Presenteeism: A review and research directions. Human Resource Management Review, 29(1), 43-58.

The article by Daniela Lohaus and Wolfgang Habermann opens with an examination of differing definitions of presenteeism that have been generally accepted in existent literature. It denotes how most people view presenteeism as inherently negative and slightly challenges this by acknowledging the benefits that come with this phenomenon. The article measures presenteeism with the focus on illnesses and the performance impairments that come with it, along with the concentration of productivity loss. The article concludes that stress is a main factor in presenteeism, and that presenteeism also increases stress for the employee. It gives a suggestion of having the option for workers to work at home to reduce stress and relaxation, to reduce presenteeism. Throughout the article presents empirical research pertaining to the prevalence of the phenomenon and its relation to various adverse effects on both employees and organizations. A significant portion of the article is spent discussing future implications of its findings with regard to further research on the topic with some preliminary findings from the empirical analysis.

The article by Lohaus and Habermann will provide a diagram that guides our research on presenteeism—particularly with regard to influences and sources of stress that may create the prominent problem of presenteeism in the work environment. This insight will shape our understanding of the different, multi-faceted costs of absenteeism and presenteeism both in isolation and context of each other. Additionally, the article presents a useful review on the nature of presenteeism as understood in the varying contexts of various previous findings and theories of presenteeism found within the academic sphere. We will utilize this to assess the other sources relied upon to reach a coherent and holistic understanding of the problem to be shown in our presentation.