Presentiment Many go to work despite illness

Presentiment: Many people go to work sick

09/03/2011

Many workers go to work despite illness, even though the doctor advised them to stay at home. This has been found out by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in a study on the topic of presentism.

When workers go to work in spite of illness, the experts talk about so-called presenteeism. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has devoted itself to the phenomenon in a comprehensive study, in which a meta-analysis evaluated 258 existing research on the topic of presentism. The results of the BAuA make it clear that working despite illness is no exception - with far-reaching consequences for the health of those affected and the productivity of companies.

According to the BAuA, the topic of presentativeness has become more and more important both nationally and internationally in recent years, even if there is no consistent concept of presentivism to this day. Therefore, the authors Mika Steinke and Bernhard Badura in the metastudy „Presentism: A review of the state of research“ 285 current research on the topic of presentism evaluated and the results are now presented to the public. In the evaluation of the 258 studies, the experts of the BAuA were able to identify two focal points of the previous research approaches. For example, North American studies are focusing their research on loss of productivity due to ill health, while European studies focus more on the causes and drivers of employee behavior and health consequences, Mika Steinke and Bernhard Badura report.

Loss of productivity through presentativeness
The impact of chronic diseases on productivity has been studied much longer in the US than in Europe, the authors of the BAuA said. Accordingly, the quality of the measuring methods should be assessed better. The BAuA therefore calls for the development and validation of tools for measuring presenteeism in Germany as well, based on self-assessments of the workforce. Thus, the loss of productivity caused by presentativeness could be better understood in this country too, explained the BAuA.

Health consequences of presenteeism
However, the impact of presentee on health is more likely to be addressed in European studies. The analysis showed that workers who go to work in spite of illness often classify their own health status as bad or rather bad, the authors of the BAuA said. In addition, several studies have suggested that presentee in an already rather poor health condition in the long term increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, report Mika Steinke and Bernhard Badura. Two studies even indicated that there was a connection between presenteeism and long-term disability. However, positive health effects of presenteeism could also be shown, according to the authors. For example, there are indications that presenteeism has a positive effect on certain chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

Presenter costs higher than costs of illness-related absences
Overall, the meta-study has „Presentism: A review of the state of research“ clearly proving that the sick leave as an instrument for recording the health status of the employees is too short, stressed the authors of the BAuA, Mika Steinke and Bernhard Badura. From a business point of view, the costs of presentism are at least as high as the costs of illness-related absences, the experts explained. If long-term health impairments occur as a result of presenteeism, however, not only the economic but also the economic costs can rise massively, the BAuA authors warn. The fact that many employees are sick because of the pressure to perform and the threat of job loss despite their doctor's recommendation to go to work, could quickly bring more disadvantages than if those affected had stayed home and cured, so the conclusion of the experts. (Fp)

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Picture: Gerd Altmann