‘I’m dragging myself to my desk every day’: Why presenteeism is alive and well – even during a pandemic

As research shows that lockdown has triggered a worrying rise in 'showing face', Olivia Petter examines why people are working through sickness

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In the weeks leading up to lockdown, marketing executive Gaby*, 27, was sent home with coronavirus symptoms. “They told me not to work if I felt really awful. But I had loads of projects that I didn’t want to get behind on, so I just carried on working from home in bed.” Two weeks later, Gaby, who suffers from asthma, was very unwell with a severe cough. “I had a fever and it became really difficult to work.” She took two days off. “I was worried that if I took any more, I might be made redundant, as one of my colleagues just had.” More than two months later, Gaby is still suffering from Covid-19 symptoms. She has not taken any more time off.

Gaby’s behaviour is a classic case of presenteeism, the practice of working (or appearing to work) through illness out of job insecurity, and it’s become increasingly common in the pandemic. Last month, a survey of 2,000 people conducted by financial services firm Canada Life found that one in three Britons have continued to work in lockdown despite being unwell. The reasons were varied, but almost half of those surveyed said they felt pressured to work through sickness due to fears of being made redundant.

One in four also admitted to feeling the need to prove they have been working every day and the same number have confessed to checking in with their line managers or colleagues more often in order to do so. Such behaviour was found to be more common among young people. A separate study conducted by YouGov on behalf of Reframe Healthcare also found that nearly half (47 per cent) of UK adults feel uncomfortable disclosing health concerns with their employers during the coronavirus outbreak. Again, the reasons were fear of retribution.

During the pandemic, our working lives have never felt more precarious. More than one in four UK workers have now been furloughed, and research suggests that more than a fifth of UK employers plan to make redundancies over the next three months. More than 2.5 million self-employed workers have applied for income support. And recent figures from the government’s independent economic forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), indicate that the cost of the government's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic is expected to hit £123.2bn.

All of this means that the UK is now facing the most devastating economic crisis since the Second World War. All things considered then, it should come as no surprise that people are concerned about the future of their jobs, and are therefore making major sacrifices in order to prove themselves as valuable assets to their employer. But is working through sickness really the best way to do that?

Health concerns aside, consider the impact that the pandemic has had on our psychological wellbeing. Research shows that more than half of UK workers are feeling more anxious or stressed in lockdown. You’d think the best way to combat this would be to take time off. But it seems that even a deadly virus is not enough to stamp out the quintessentially British “keep calm and carry on” attitude so many of us swear by. Even if it means putting our careers ahead of our physical and mental health.

“I had expected a rise in presenteeism during the pandemic,” says psychologist Sir Cary Cooper, “because when people are feeling insecure about their job, they tend to turn up to work to show ‘facetime’ so they are not in the next tranche of redundancies. People will now be working all hours to show their employers they are committed and in effect are essential after the lockdown.” Hence why people are reluctant to take time off for sickness, despite the fact that they could indeed be very unwell.

When people are feeling insecure about their job, they tend to turn up to work to show ‘facetime’ so they are not in the next tranche of redundancies

Sir Cary Cooper, psychologist

“I lost my sense of smell quite early on in lockdown and was unwell with a bad cough and a fever on and off almost six weeks,” says Lucy*, 26, who works as an advertising producer in London. Despite having symptoms of Covid-19, Lucy withheld this from her employer, taking just one sick day and telling them that she had menstrual cramps. “My company was in the midst of furloughing people at the time, and I was worried that if I told them the truth, they might use the fact that I could have coronavirus as an excuse to put me on furlough.”

The problem has not just affected full-time employees either. Charlotte Sheridan, 38, is a small business owner based in London and lost 70 per cent of her usual client base at the start of lockdown. “I had to make a choice - whether to carry on working at such a reduced level, or to stop all operations and furlough myself. I took the option of carrying on.” But this approach has forced Sheridan, who is based in London, to work 16-hour-long days. She has also been very unwell, “I've had migraines, come out in rashes, developed cold sores, and had styes. I'm dragging myself to my desk every day. I do plan to try and take a step back at some point, but right now I cannot clearly see when this will be.”

Presenteeism is particularly common among health and social care workers, who understandably see themselves as invaluable during the coronavirus crisis and therefore are less inclined to take time off in fear of the consequences for people who are in need of their services. “They are strongly motivated to care for others and may not prioritise their own health,” explains Gail Kinman, chartered psychologist and fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Additionally, staffing levels in health and social care are likely to be below the demand, which Kinman explains can make some employees in these sectors feel irreplaceable and put further pressure on them to come into work through illness so as not to put an extra burden on colleagues who are already overworked, and possibly also unwell. This is common for doctors. “They often self-diagnose and self-manage any symptoms they might experience without necessarily taking time off as many feel they have to maintain a ‘healthy’ image,” adds Kinman, “so taking time off for sickness may be stigmatised”.

Given that so many of us are now working remotely, some people may also feel more inclined to work through sickness because they believe they can easily manage their symptoms, what with access to the medicine cupboard, the fridge, and no commute to endure.

A more obvious reason as to why more people are working through sickness during lockdown is that their employer does not offer adequate sick pay. The government entitles UK citizens to £95.85 per week of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work. This amount is paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. You cannot get less than this amount, but you may be entitled to more if your company has a sick pay scheme, which is information that will be in your employment contract. However, you have to qualify for SSP first. This means you must either earn an average of at least £120 per week, or have been unwell for at least four days in a row.

Self-employed people do not qualify for SSP, which is why freelancers are also very likely to work through illness. “Some people cannot afford periods without pay, and come to work when ill due to sheer financial pressures,” says Nita Chhinzer, associate professor of Human Resource Management and Business Consulting at the University of Guelph. “This occurs more when someone else in the household experiences a decreased income due to a lack of work or reduced work hours, as a result of Covid-19. Those working feel increased pressure to provide income security.”

Presenteeism is not advisable at the best of times, but no more so than when we are in the midst of a deadly pandemic. “There is evidence to suggest that presenteeism has an impact on future physical health,” says occupational psychologist, Dr Rachel Lewis, pointing to research which shows that people who work through sickness increase the risk of acquiring long-term health conditions up to 18 months later. But the consequences could affect our mental health, too. “More than eight days of working through illness is associated with an increased risk of depression,” she adds. “You are also at risk of increased emotional exhaustion and burnout.”

More than eight days of working through illness is associated with an increased risk of depression

Dr Rachel Lewis, occupational psychologist

That’s just the health side of things. Presenteesim can also, ironically, be detrimental to your performance at work. This is particularly true if you are experiencing symptoms that make it difficult to concentrate, such as exhaustion, headaches, or a fever. Crucially, though, this does not just reduce productivity. If you are working through illness because you fear for your job, then doing so could actually work against you given that your performance might be dropping. In these instances, it’s obviously better to simply stop working.

The only way to combat presenteeism is to increase awareness of it, explains Kinman. Employers need to feel pressured to implement adequate measures to protect their employees, such as paid sick leave, and employees need to know the long and short-term risks of working through sickness. “But we also need to reduce the stigma of taking time off sick,” she adds. “This is integral to building a healthier workplace culture. It’s up to line managers to act as role models by taking time off when they are sick if they need to.”

As for what an individual can do if they are feeling pressured to work while unwell, it’s best to have an open dialogue with your manager and succumb to the fact that you will never fully recover unless you give yourself adequate time to do so. “Then, try to shut off from everything that is to do with work and focus on looking after yourself,” says life coach Jessica Rogers. If you are self-employed, Rogers suggests letting your clients and customers know that you are out of action for a few days and enlisting the help of someone to cover you whilst you take time out if you can.

“Remember the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’,” Rogers adds. “Taking care of yourself and ‘filling your cup’ will make you stronger to do your work even better in the long run.”

*Names have been changed