Employees feel pressured to work while sick, research shows

BOSTON - A new study finds that many employees feel pressure to work even when they're sick.

Researchers at the University of South Florida have dubbed it "presenteeism pressure" in which organizations unknowingly encourage employees to "power through physical or mental illness." But fostering that type of culture can be harmful.  

Employees who feel pressured to work while under the weather begin to believe their organization doesn't care about their well-being which leads to lower satisfaction and a greater desire to leave the organization.  

A Harvard study estimated that pressure to work while sick can cost companies as much as $150 billion annually due to lost productivity and what's called "deviant" behavior like theft and mistreatment of coworkers.  

They say employers should avoid strict attendance policies which can improve employee satisfaction and improve the overall function of the organization.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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