Presenteeism-going to work with a cold/flu

It's a situation I am sure we have all faced. Do we soldier on or stay safely under the doona. The mere fact that going to work with a cold/flu is described as soldiering on shows there is something of a badge of honour attributed to keeping on working while unwell, but is it really the right thing to do?


Anecdotal evidence seems to show the bugs that have been infecting us this past winter have laid numerous people low with long running bouts of colds and flu's. I know this has been the case in my own family and my record of not having succumbed to the flu for 10 years sadly came to an end. Holding this self appointed record had filled me with a sense of bravado that made me refuse the flu vaccine when other Manse Medical staff were having it (don't need it never get that sick were the words going through my head) even though I thought it was imperative to have available for staff. Working at a respiratory clinic I should have had more sense. Anyway when the flu did strike me, I was rendered unable to go to work for a few days, no real decision to be made. Feeling what I thought was better I ventured into work but it seems others thought I was still infective hence wisely gave me a wide berth. 


I decided to google 'going to work with a cold' and a plethora of sites and opinions came up. Turning up to work while sick has even been given a name 'Presenteeism'.


Basically, presenteeism is the opposite to absenteeism and can be just as detrimental and costly to a workplace. People who come to work with a cold will be less productive, more prone to mistakes and of course pose a risk of passing their horrible germs onto other workers and in the case of health workers, the illness could be pasted onto patients. As we know for those with compromised health this can have devastating consequences.


Statistics related to presenteeism are;


• In 2005 – 2006 the cost of presenteeism to the Australian economy was estimated to be $25.7 billion
• On average, six working days of productivity are lost for each employee annually as a result of presenteeism
• The cost of presenteeism is nearly four times the cost of absenteeism
• The direct impact on productivity costs Australian businesses a total of $17.6 billion a year
• Poor health causes 12 million days of reduced productivity

I found an interesting opinion article in the Medical Journal of Australia by a doctor who wrote about his own dilemma regarding staying home with a cold and the repercussion it would cause such as rescheduling 20 patients who have waited up to 2 months for an appointment versus the risk associated with spreading his illness.

Workplaces can manage presenteeism for one by sending sick staff home but also by creating an environment within the workplace that makes staff feel secure in their jobs, confident in their sick leave entitlements and have contingency plans (risk management) for when staff are away from work unexpectedly.

My advice after the end of my flu free decade is to get the flu vaccine and to stay home when too sick. Your colleges will thank you in the end.

Now where are those tissues....

Jessica