Our main focus is on presenteeism.  This is where a person is in work, but out of it in mind and body, therefore not functioning to their full potential.  Put simply, when people don’t feel good, they don’t do their best work. Research suggests that presenteeism just from psychological issues can cost UK businesses £15.1 billion a year in reduced productivity, accounts for 1.5 times as much working time lost as absenteeism and costs more to employers because it is more common among higher paid staff.  That’s before we think about physical problems and lack of energy matters.  Key questions companies need to ask themselves are:

• Your employees turn up but are they really here in mind?
• Are they Ill whilst at work?
• Have they had enough sleep?
• Are they physically active enough to meet the demands of their role?
• Are they eating correctly to have the energy to perform?
• Do they suffer from stress?

Presenteeism is a serious problem to businesses especially in terms of productivity.  The problem is that you can not always see when presenteeism is apparent, unlike absenteeism when the employee is obviously not at work.  This makes it hard to measure in terms of numbers.  The condition is known to affect job performance through reduced productivity and therefore affects the bottom line of a company.  Causes of presenteeism can include stress (both work and home related), depression and actual illness where people come to work for fear of letting people down or to keep their attendance record at maximum for fear of the consequences.  It can also include lack of energy, joint and muscle pains, in fact anything that stops the person from working optimally.  All things that induce presenteeism can be helped and reduced before they become a major issue with health and wellbeing interventions.  The key is to get these people turning up for work, switched on and fighting fit for another day thus preventing loss in productivity or illness and muscle/joint problems that may increase the risk of long term sickness in the future.

The current physiological and psychological state of a person will determine how well they work.  If they are not functioning optimally through things like arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, depression, lack of energy or clear focus their work may be affected by working much slower than normal and by making a lot of unwanted mistakes, therefore reducing quality and quantity of work.  The need to invest in this area of human capital should be of the utmost importance if businesses what to get each and everyone of there employees switched on and producing much more quality work, more of the time.

Let's GO! | Unit 6 Phase 2, Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre, Wilthorpe, Barnsley, S75 1JL

Copyright © lets Go Health & Wellbeing

James Marvin, Mobile: 07932 669672
Email: james@letsgohealthandwellbeing.co.uk

Lisa Kitchen, Mobile: 07725 690404
Email: lisa@letsgohealthandwellbeing.co.uk