Look at the causes

1 “There are two definitions of presenteeism, not feeling well and not performing well,” says Michelle Mahdon, a programme leader at the Work Foundation. If the latter is the cause, “it may be the job isn’t giving someone enough variety or stretching their skills enough. They may be overworked, feel a lack of purpose, don’t get on with their colleagues or are stressed by things at home. Have a good conversation, work out what the issues are and tackle it early,” she says.

Measure the problem

2 Andy Bell, director of public affairs in the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, says presenteeism should not be underestimated. “It is a far bigger problem than absenteeism. The higher up the ladder you go the more prevalent and more costly it is — more costly than drug or alcohol addictions,” he says.

Zara Whysall, a psychologist with Cope, the occupational health provider, says: “While most companies have measures for measuring sickness and absence, presenteeism is hidden and more difficult to quantify.” People are most likely to come into work, when perhaps they should stay at home, when they are suffering from colds and flu, stress, anxiety and depression, she says.

Keep people informed

3 “People think the way to prevent being made redundant is more face time,” says Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University. “Give people information about the state of play. They will feel that they have more control.”

Don’t create a long-hours culture

4 Professor Cooper adds: “If you reward people for coming in and staying late, people will think that is what is demanded.

They will burn out and you won’t get added value.” Mike Petrook, a spokesman for the Chartered Management Institute, says focusing on output rather than input is more effective than a “clocking in” culture. “People should be judged on whether they do their jobs not how long it takes them to do it,” he says.

Illness is not weakness

5 “Our research found that one in three people don’t report illness to their business or take time off because they fear that ‘out of sight is out of mind’,” Mr Petrook says. “If you have a culture where illness equals weakness you are getting people to work when they are not functioning at their best.”

Take mental health seriously

6 Mental ill health affects one person in six and costs an average of £1,000 for every employee, Mr Bell says. “Most mental ill health at work is not caused by work. Being at work is actually good for a person’s mental health,” he says. Sensitivity from line managers is crucial, occupational health should be seen as supportive, not punitive. “Start with senior people — prove that it is safe to talk about mental health.”

Keep meetings to the point

7 Whether an employee is angling for a promotion or aiming to avoid redundancy, attending unnecessary meetings is a sign of presenteeism, Professor Cooper says. “Most meetings could be ten times shorter and better managed. While going to endless meetings may make an individual feel more secure they are not actually getting their work done.”

Help to combat work stress

8 “A drop in productivity is a clue that someone may be stressed or ill,” Dr Whysall says. Ask people how much control they feel they have, whether their workload is excessive, whether they have job ambiguity (not having a clearly defined workload). Those are risk factors.” Flexible or remote working can enable people to work effectively without being constantly in the office, Professor Cooper says.

Practise what you preach

9 “In a recession, from top floor to shop floor, everyone is engaging in presenteeism because everyone’s vulnerable,” Professor Cooper says. “Senior managers need to send the message that working hard is fine — but overworking is not.”

Plan and prepare — or else

10 “Employers who have a culture of encouraging employees to struggle in are going to have to change. Their primary responsibility is to create a safe working environment,” says Sarah Turner, an employment partner at Turner Parkinson, a law firm. “They are exposing themselves to the charge of not looking after their employees.”

All present and correct

— 66 per cent of people are coming in earlier and staying later since the recession.

— 54 per cent of employers cite staff absence as their biggest fear

— One in five managers works the equivalent of a six-day week because of extra hours

— Four out of ten organisations have no plan to deal with a significant swine flu outbreak

— For every £1 invested in flexible working employers gain £3.50

Sources: YouGov, CMI, Sainsbury

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