Managing Presenteeism: The Impact of Employee Participation and Competence in the Workplace
Presenteeism, the ability of employees to remain focused on work despite health challenges, includes a positive notion known as functional presenteeism, where employees purposefully adapt to their circumstances. However, the current literature often neglects the psychological drivers that lead employees to work while unwell. This oversight results in a need for more attention to creating work environments conducive to recovery and productivity for those who choose to work through illness. By effectively managing and providing adequate support, employers can leverage the potential benefits of presenteeism, enhancing both employee health and performance outcomes.
Understanding the factors driving presenteeism in the workplace is crucial for several reasons. First, it helps us identify what leads employees to work despite being unwell, such as high job demands or personal traits. Accordingly, organisations can develop targeted interventions and HR policies to better support employees who are chronically ill and manage presenteeism effectively. Second, by pinpointing these factors, practitioners can create strategies to address presenteeism and foster a healthier, more productive work environment. Third, a deeper understanding of presenteeism factors can inform the development of tools to measure it accurately. This enables organisations to track progress in reducing presenteeism and evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. Last, insights into the antecedents of presenteeism contribute to the broader literature on return-to-work and HR management, offering valuable guidance on promoting employee health and well-being while maintaining productivity.
Based on the JD-R model, our study integrates job and personal resources as key mechanisms for effectively managing workplace presenteeism. Specifically, within job resources, high-involvement working signifies an ongoing experience of greater influence over decisions affecting the work process, as perceived by workers within their job roles and working environment. Competence encompasses individuals' skills and strengths, which can complement job resources. Consequently, individual competence acts as a coping mechanism, facilitating the effective management of presenteeism within high-involvement working environments. By leveraging personal resources in conjunction with job resources, organisations can effectively address presenteeism challenges in the workplace.
Our research highlights that high-involvement working helps reduce workplace distractions but does not significantly impact task completion in presenteeism. However, personal competence is crucial in bridging this gap, mediating between high-involvement working and task completion. These findings underscore the significance of both high-involvement working and personal competence in tackling presenteeism in the workplace. For organisations, high-involvement work can enhance employees' ability to focus on their tasks despite health challenges. However, this means not relying solely on high-involvement work to address employees' coping needs with increased job demands and health challenges. Instead, managers should prioritise enhancing employees' resources, such as competence in cognitive, functional, and social skills. Encouraging employees to leverage their competence can aid them in adapting to their work and effectively managing job demands. Managers can support this by recognising and nurturing various types of competence. In summary, managers should acknowledge the importance of individual competence and high-involvement work resources for effectively managing presenteeism in the workplace. By doing so, organisations can create a supportive environment that promotes employee well-being and productivity.
Dr Md Shamirul Islam
Sunway Business School
Email: @email
The paper this article was based on is available at the link below:
