When you’re better off staying home!

Presenteeism. It’s a concept that hasn’t had as much focus on it as absenteeism over the years. In fact, only statisticians were really paying attention to presenteeism and its impact on the economy at large until the pandemic put it front and center!

So what do we mean by “presenteeism?”
Simply put, it’s coming into work when you’re sick. It’s showing up when you’d be better off staying home. It used to be thought of as having a great work ethic. Pushing through and hitting deadlines, despite burning up with fever or coughing up a lung! That was what the ideal employee could be (and usually was) expected to do.

Problem is, it’s not without its consequences. In the very short term, presenteeism means the work you were expecting to get done, gets done… sort of. But it’s usually just a matter of days - and sometimes only hours before the consequences start to hit.

First, a sick, incapacitated employee is never going to do the job as well as they would healthy. Statistics show you can expect at least a 30% lower outcome from sick employees. And second, as we’re all hyper aware now, they’re going to get the rest of their workplace sick.

For early ed centers, that means not just sick teachers… but sick kiddos as well. And while coming in to work sick can seem like dedication, more often it’s a result of having no other choice. Workplace culture that discourages calling out for any reason, lack of sick leave, and fear of job loss top the reasons for presenteeism.

And if you do take steps to encourage employees to stay home when sick - you need to have a plan in place to keep your classroom ratios covered. That’s where we can help. We can meet last minute needs for short term subs, but we excel at placing long term teachers!

More Than Just Washing Your Hands

We all know the basics for trying to avoid illness, but don't forget that injuries can cause many of the same presenteeism issues as contagious illnesses do. This blog post has ideas to prevent both!

What We're Reading

For a deep dive into the hard data on how health affects early childhood educators, this study really held our attention! It’s dense with information on a topic that has been largely unaddressed by researchers. Knowledge is power, and this study provides some real numbers on the problems we face and how to address them.

Read the Full Article Here

Final Thoughts:

Presenteeism costs more than absenteeism. It’s true. Harvard Business Review estimates the cost at $150 billion a year to the U.S. economy in lost productivity. It is absolutely in the best interest of your bottom line to have company policies in place that discourage employees from coming in sick. But that’s only half the story. If you don’t also have a plan for certified credentialed, and experienced teachers to step in when one of your staff needs to stay home, then you don’t have an effective plan. We’ve got you covered - give us a call!