For many workers, Covid-19 altered our attitudes towards our jobs and how we do them. The conditions of the past three years catalysed a full re-evaluation of careers and values, and subsequently dislodged some staid traditions that have bogged down workplace progress.
In the new world of work, many employees have received what they’ve wanted from their employers – new ways of getting things done including flexible hours, remote working and even shortened workweeks.
Despite this, however, one entrenched feature of business culture that’s proved tough – and in some cases impossible – to shift, is presenteeism.
Before the pandemic, presenteeism – a compulsion, often performative, to work long hours and be available around the clock even when unwell or unproductive – was a common part of the culture of many organisations. This has been particularly the case across industries including finance, consulting and tech, where bosses have historically expected to see long hours from their workers, even when it’s not quantifiably tied to output.
Despite so many workplace-culture changes, evidence suggests that not only is presenteeism still entrenched – but it may also be getting worse. This might especially be the case as employee-employer trust waivers, and digital presenteeism rises alongside the fear of job security amid an uncertain economic climate.
Can it change?
Evolving expectations
In 2020, as Covid-19 forced companies to shut down offices, employees were given the chance to experience new ways of working.
Flexible and remote work was arguably the biggest change: many employees realised they could fulfil their professional responsibilities from home and remain just as productive. The opportunity to spend more time with family or to engage in leisure activities also created a desire for lasting change in job demands and working schedules.
Indeed, many employers have risen to the occasion, making some dramatic changes.
One 2022 McKinsey & Company survey of 25,000 US workers showed 58% of respondents report having the opportunity to work from home at least one day a week, while 35% of respondents said they had the option to work from home five days a week. A 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center showed about a third of workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home all the time, compared to just 7% who did so before the pandemic.
The overnight switch to home-working in the pandemic undoubtedly increased some people’s workloads, as they were unable to switch off metaphorically and literally – Lucy Kallin
Despite these changes, little has seemed to meaningfully chip away at a pervasive culture of presenteeism that still plagues much of the workforce. Indeed, in some cases, new ways of working may even exacerbate it.
First, the dissolution of personal and professional boundaries during home working may have played a significant role.
“Without a clear physical separation between work and home, individuals may find it challenging to disconnect and set clear boundaries,” says Peter Brown, who leads PwC’s Global People and Organisation practice. “This lack of separation can lead – and in many cases did lead – to longer working hours, increased workloads and difficulty taking breaks or time off, all contributing to presenteeism.”
Lucy Kallin, executive director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Catalyst, a workplace consultancy that focuses on gender equality, agrees. “The overnight switch to home-working in the pandemic undoubtedly increased some people’s workloads, as they were unable to switch off metaphorically and literally. Instead of using the commute home to wind down from work people stayed ‘always on’.”
She adds a rise in trust issues between employees and employers hasn’t helped shake workers’ compulsion to be present for their managers, even if they are unwell or not on work hours.
Amid the shift to remote work, some managers haven’t entirely trusted their workers to remain productive – but the issue cuts both ways. Gallup research published in April 2023 shows during the pandemic and in its aftermath, employee trust in organisational leadership faltered for reasons including poor communication around Covid-19, and a lack of direction in terms of the company’s plans and strategies for the future. Gallup data shows that in the US, only 21% of employees said that they strongly agree that they trust their company’s leaders.
“Lack of trust is intrinsically linked to presenteeism,” explains Kallin. Simply, employees may have felt compelled to be always on, because they can’t rely on being valued for their contributions and achievements if they’re not always on.
Brown adds as businesses scrambled to stay solvent amid Covid-19, employees may also have felt additional pressure to be excessively present.
“During the pandemic, many organisations were focused on adapting quickly to remote work and ensuring business continuity. The immediate priority was to keep operations running smoothly, which may have inadvertently reinforced presenteeism,” he says. “Employees may have felt compelled to work longer hours or be constantly available to prove their dedication and productivity, even in a remote setting.”
Only getting worse?
As many employees continue to work at least partially remotely, the rise of digital presenteeism is also a factor in keeping the behaviour entrenched – and an increasing concern.
In the UK, 2022 data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed that while presenteeism among employees had fallen slightly throughout the past few years, some 65% of HR workers said that they were still observing it in their organisations. And the number of respondents who said they were seeing it among those working from home rose from 77% in 2021 to 81% in 2022. The CIPD also found ‘leavism’ – the practice of using allocated time off, such as annual leave, to work – to be prevalent.
Results from a 2021 academic research paper also point to more reasons why Covid-19 might’ve exacerbated digital presenteeism. One reason, posit the researchers, is workers’ increasing digital footprints. As formerly in-person work went digital, workers may have felt more aware that bosses could track how many hours they were putting in, and how much work they were producing via their online communication.
During the pandemic, many organisations were focused on adapting quickly to remote work and ensuring business continuity. The immediate priority was to keep operations running smoothly, which may have inadvertently reinforced presenteeism – Peter Brown
“When employees recognize that their online activities generate digital footprints that can be followed by their employers, they may perceive their inputs and activities as extremely visible and under scrutiny, and therefore put in greater effort, which has been found to result in greater burnout,” wrote the researchers. “By intensifying the employees’ efforts at work, monitoring can promote a culture of being constantly available and generate feelings of attendance pressure, likely leading to working when sick.”
Lead by example
Cultures of presenteeism may have survived the pandemic, but that’s not to say that they’ll be here forever. To dislodge them, though, the impetus is largely on employers to understand why the behaviour is so entrenched, and subsequently remedy it in their cultures.
This may take managers really mining the root of the problem in their companies, says Catalyst’s Kallin. For instance, she says, senior leaders need to stop celebrating people for being “always on”, or praising people for working overtime.
And crucially, firms also need to recognise the ways in which the pandemic-induced changes in the workplace – a shift to hybrid and remote working, for example – might have exacerbated presenteeism. Even though leaders can’t see the behaviour because it’s happening remotely, she says, they need to spearhead changes so employees feel willing and able to turn off from work.
Brown adds that defining working hours and sticking to them can help employees disconnect and rebuild their work-life boundaries. Fundamentally, says Brown, for managers to dismantle a culture of presenteeism, they must make sure employees feel trusted and empowered.
For now, employees may unfortunately be stuck with presenteeism in the workplace, as employers still need to recognise the issue and buy into the solution. Still, much continues to change in the workplace, so workers can stay optimistic that even this boulder may eventually move.
Source: BBC
