Who Really Showed Up for Work Today?

Is Pay Still Number One?

2006-03-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

In a departure from surveys that tell us that pay has risen to the top of the employee "what I want" list, comes this story from the UK. According to the online edition of the Globe and Mail, in an article entitled "Workers Want More Flexible Arrangements," we hear the following findings from a study of more than 2,000 people from 32 countries by the Careerinnovation Group in England:

"Almost half said they would be willing to give up some pay to get a more flexible working arrangement"

I wonder if this is simply a manifestation of cultural differences (US and UK workers), or if we're starting to see a return to "work/life balance" issues that had faded from view a few years back.

Uh, I'm Really Feeling Sick Today

2005-07-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Hudson report something that should not be a revelation for most of us . . . namely that 30% of those employed are "playing hooky" (taking a "mental health" day) at least once a year, often with their managers turning a blind eye to their behavior.

“With the busy pace of today’s working environment, employees are taking matters into their own hands to combat stress and take care of their families, often with the tacit approval of their manager,” says Alicia Barker, vice-president of human resources, Hudson North America. “While this practice may reduce employees’ concerns about breaking the rules, managers can also help by advocating a healthy work/life balance, time management training and stronger personal time policies.”

It should also come as no shock that younger workers in low-paying jobs are the worst offenders. Take a look at the Hudson survey results, and then look in the mirror. What's happening in your company? And why?

Dull Work Can Kill You

2005-06-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

According to a study conducted by Dr Harry Hemingway, of University College London Medical School, reported in the Business News section of News.com.au, some workers may actually do themselves a favor by NOT showing up for work. Apparently dull jobs CAN kill you.

According to the report, "men with 'low-grade jobs', meaning they had little control over daily tasks, and men in low social positions had faster and less-variable heart rates." Dr. Hemingway goes on to say "This finding helps explain why men with low-paying jobs and less education have a higher risk for heart disease, a trend that has been evident for the last 30 years." In contrast, the healthy heart experiences variation in rate, which could come from a number of things - exercise, relaxation and, yes, some excitement at work where we spend most of our time.

Our Persistent Efforts to Create a Labour Shortage

2005-05-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

We've all been hearing the "labor shortage" stories for some time. For example, a recent report from "down under" advises us that "Our future is no longer one of abundant labour supply; quite the opposite. Business will need to work harder to attract and retain staff."

Why then are we not surprised to see the following report of a potential labour surplus in the UK? According to Andrew Taylor at FT.com (Financial Times) in an article entitled Unemployment of over-50s costs economy up to £31bn a year

"The government needs to do more to increase job opportunities for unemployed workers aged over 50 to prevent a loss of skills and experience costing the economy billions of pounds, a parliamentary report says today.

The study by the public accounts committee said there were insufficient data to determine whether the government's New Deal 50 Plus programme was working effectively."

Is this supply/demand inbalance due to geography? I think not. There is a perception afoot in the marketplace that the "over-50" workforce does not have the currently needed skills to get ahead today, or that they simply won't fit in organizations with a predominantly younger workforce. All the skills training in the world won't overcome prejudice and pre-formed perceptions.

It's ironic that the portion of the workforce now being overlooked has been statistically shown to be the most loyal, most willing to put up with slow advancement and most likely to show up and be productive even when the work environment is less than supportive. Labour shortage? It may be one of our own creation.

Where Are They Really Taking Those Eight Days?

2005-05-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

According to a new study conducted by the folks at Universal Orlando Resort and Bert Sperling, Americans are foregoing 8 days of earned vacation per year on average. This is particularly prevalent in the Northeast, and in areas recently hit by tech industry collapse or experiencing significant unemployment.

"Universal Orlando Resort and Bert Sperling, founder of Sperling’s BestPlaces, compiled “vacation crisis” scores based on the amount of vacation days people in the 51 largest U.S. metro areas earned on average, and what percentage of those people reported taking vacation the week before being surveyed."

What's interesting are the geographic distinctions. Cities reporting the greatest "all work - no play" inbalances are:

1. Newark, NJ
2. Miami, FL
3. Bergen-Passaic, NJ
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Atlanta, GA
6. Austin – San Marcos, TX
7. Charlotte – Gastonia – Rock Hill, NC
8. Philadelphia, PA
9. Houston, TX
10. New York, NY

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we look West to cities like:

1. Sacramento, CA
2. Nashville, TN
3. Seattle – Bellevue- Everett, WA
4. Oakland, CA
5. San Jose, CA
6. Riverside – San Bernardino, CA
7. Portland – Vancouver, OR
8. Salt Lake City – Ogden, UT
9. Columbus, OH
10. Denver, CO

According to the article, and most studies we've read, passing up vacation leads to more stress, higher incident of illness and an overall decrease in the quality of work. While productivity numbers may lead one to the opposite conclusion (after all, they are at work) we expect that the growth in presenteeism in the workplace is on the rise East of the Mississippi.

Sick Days (Away from Work) Appear to Be a Thing of the Past

2005-03-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

Fears concerning job security keep people at the office or plant even when common sense dictates that a day at home might put them on the road to good health. Workspan Weekly, the online publication of WorldatWork (formerly the American Compensation Association) reported the following on March 15, 2005:

Working While Sick Continues to Pervade U.S. Workplace
[WorldatWork]

March 15, 2005 – The majority of employees – 77% - report going to work while sick, according to a recent Tell It Now poll by ComPsych Corporation.
When asked whether they worked while sick, employees responded:

· 34 percent - Yes, because my workload makes it too difficult to take off

· 26 percent – Yes, because it feels "risky" to take off in the current work environment

· 17 percent – Yes, because I save my sick days for when my kids need me

· 23 percent – No, I put my health first.

“The percentage of employees who work while sick - and the reasons they do so - is virtually unchanged since 2004,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “Employees' health continues to take a backseat as they succumb to the demands of work and caregiving.”

The survey was conducted from Feb. 5 to March 1, 2005, receiving responses from employees of more than 1,000 ComPsych client companies nationwide.

Make Sure That Those Who Show Up Know They Count

2005-03-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of press recently claiming that the benefits of diversity management have been over-hyped. In fact, some have gone so far as to say that they can see no difference in the bottom lines of companies with strong diversity policies and practices and those which don't.

Mor Barak at USC has weighed in on this topic with a new book that deserves a look:

WorldatWork: "In Managing Diversity Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace (SAGE Publications), Mor Barak, of the USC School of Social Work and Marshall School of Business, says many organizations pay lip service to a culture of acceptance, but few have adopted measures for a truly inclusive workplace. She suggests the organizations that ultimately will thrive are those prepared to divest themselves of their prejudicial attitudes and effectively unleash the potential embedded in a heterogeneous workforce.
Coined by Mor Barak, the term 'inclusive workplace' refers to a model work environment that welcomes diversity on all levels. She developed the concept after seven years of research that included interviewing corporate executives, business leaders and employees from around the globe. She also relied on findings from a Rockefeller Foundation-funded international think tank.
'Invariably, the employees who were more included in the organization's decision-making and information networks were more satisfied, more committed to the organization and felt more productive than those who were not,' Mor Barak said. 'After several interviews with women and members of ethnic and racial diverse groups repeatedly telling me how they felt, it finally dawned on me � inclusion was the key.'"

This makes good sense to us. As the war for talent picks back up in the next few years, it may also make sense to an even more important public - the people you are trying to hire.

Correlation Between Vacation and Job Satisfaction?

2005-01-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

We were struck by the statistics presented by Hudson Global Resources in the January 2005 Issue of Baseline magazine in their Out of Scope section. On the basis of Hudson's "monthly phone and online surveys of 9,000 U.S. workers (to) gauge job security and satisfaction" 39% of IT professionals were looking for new jobs in November 2004. However, the lowest positive response for the question "Are you looking for another job outside your current company?" came in August (23%). Since August is typically viewed as a "vacation month" in the U.S. as well as Europe, we began to wonder about the potentially positive effects of vacation on retention.

Would U.S. companies be smart to consider encouraging vacation during the months when worker satisfaction is at its lowest point? And would this offset other factors alluded to by the Hudson folks in linking dissatisfaction and seasonality? Kevin Knaul says "As the year winds down, people start looking at moving into new projects and new opportunities, and that's especially true in I.T." Wonder if they are also looking at what drives folks to want to stick around in August?

I Quit. . .But I Forgot To Tell You

2005-01-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

We sometimes feel like a voice in the wilderness when we speak with potential clients about the issue of presenteeism. Often we're told that everyone is "working hard" and that no one in their right mind would let us know if they were less than 110% engaged. Their belief is grounded in a few critical assumptions, specifically: (1) it's an employers' market, (2) the "dead wood" was all eliminated during waves of layoffs and (3) the folks that are left are grateful to have a job, and are working their behinds off.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we opened the advance program for the Society for Human Resource Management 2005 Annual Conference in San Diego, and spotted Terri Kabachnick's session entitled "I Quit...but Forgot to Tell You." Terri has described the presenteeism phenomenon as well as anyone we've seen. And, she's got some solid recommendations about what you can do about it.

Terri is a nationally recognized expert in retail sales, who has extended her practice into the whole realm of human performance. She focuses today on "perfecting the human side of business." For a great read, download her article (with the same name as the headline of this blog) and consider her advice regarding re-engagement of your people.

Thanks, Terri. We hope that you have a full house in San Diego!

Home-Shoring Remedy for Presenteeism?

2005-01-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

One very positive way to address distraction- or health-driven presenteeism is providing a work environment that includes a "home-shoring" option. One of the more innovative comes from Scotland.

Michael Wolff, a Scottish-based entrepreneur refers to this modern adaptation of homeworking as "ki-working." "Ki-working comes from the word ki - which loosely translated means "trusted relationship" - (borrowed) from the Japanese."

"Ki-working, he says, can demonstrate cost-savings per "effective hour"- that is each hour of work that is actually productive - that can compete with the Indian experience. His calculations show that home ki-workers cost £13.74 an hour to employ, exactly the same as an employee in an Indian call centre. The cost per effective hour for a standard UK-based worker is just over £20 in the same analysis."

"These numbers are based on the premise that the wages of an employee in an Indian call centre are only 15% of the total cost of employing them. The remaining 85% of the cost goes on operational overheads such as maintaining IT infrastructure and office space which means that the relatively low hourly wages are mitigated by the cost of maintaining the office space."

THE GUARDIAN via NewsEdge Corporation : Mr Wolff argues that a ki-worker can earn about the same as in a UK call centre but the savings are made for companies because they are cheaper to employ as there are no costly overheads and they can be switched on and off as necessary.

"In this model, the ki-worker earns roughly the same amount per effective hour as the UK employee but needs to be available only 70% of the total time. The ki-worker has been able to compete head on with offshoring and save his or her job and the employer has achieved the same savings," he said.

"Ki-working is for people whose work-life balance is a priority but who need to have high quality work and be part of a high quality team," Mr Wolff said.

At the moment the idea is largely hypothetical and not working anywhere in the UK on a large scale. The AA has 150 workers answering breakdown calls and in 1992 BT conducted a year-long pilot on homeworking for a dozen or so directory inquiry call handlers who used to commute to its Inverness call centre.

Mitch Reid, a BT spokesman based in Aberdeen who has worked from home for the past two years, said the experiment found that stress levels fell and that the anticipated feelings of isolation did not arise. The homeworking project for the Inverness call centre workers was never intended to be anything other than an experiment, he said. The Inverness operation was closed in September, however, as cost-cutting refocused work in three other centres in Scotland.

The travel industry might catch on to the idea. Some companies are handling business this way already and lastminute.com is ready to consider the use of a network of homeworkers in the new year. A backlash against offshoring might be a spur.

In the banking industry, NatWest is basing its marketing on the fact that it does not use call centres overseas in contrast to rivals such as HSBC.

Alan Denbigh, executive director of the Telework Association, points out that issues such as trusting the homeworker and managing them has made the concept put forward by Mr Wolff difficult to operate in practice.

"Remote working is more exacting in terms of management," Mr Denbigh said, adding that it tends to work best with higher skilled individuals. Even so, Mr Wolff thinks that it is just a matter of time before it catches on and points to the experience of the US.

Earlier this month the research firm IDC claimed companies were using "home-shoring" for call centre work and calculated that in some cases moving work stations into homes could boost productivity and efficiency while continuing to reduce costs. Some 100,000 people are already working this way inAmerica, IDC said. .end (paragraph)<>

<< Copyright ©2004 The Guardian. >>

Presenteeism Down Under

2004-12-29T16:46:00.000-08:00

After we began our poll (see right column), we began to look for other survey work on our topic around the world. It appears that last year, the Sidney Morning Herald asked its readers, "how bad is presenteeism for you?" and found 37% of those responding identifying it as a serious problem, and 37% more citing it as an occasional problem.

In a place that has been described as "the land of the long weekend," it appears that things are changing in the workplace. And the fact that people are showing up, but doing little is seen as a serious problem.

smh.com.au - The Sydney Morning Herald

The Hidden Costs of Depression

2004-12-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

As we've long suspected, work environments that fail to recognize (or which may actually contribute to) employee depression cost employers big bucks in the long run.

Benefitnews.com - Information for HR and Benefit Directors and other Employee Benefit Plan Sponsors and Advisers: "some of the highest costs related to depression are the indirect costs, primary among them productivity losses. Based on the Work Loss Data Institute Official Disability Guidelines, an employee case of depression could result in two to three weeks of lost work time or $1,500 per case per year at an average daily wage. But this undoubtedly understates the productivity costs since with a disease like depression, the real problem is 'presenteeism' - people at work but limited in their ability to produce or participate - the costs of which are difficult to measure."

Pitney Bowes Indicates Annual Presenteeism Costs Exceed $51 Million

2004-12-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

We came across an early (2002) article that provides some good quantitative data on presenteeism costs at one of America's best known companies. When aches, pains and sniffles get translated into dollars, people take notice.

Benefitnews.com - Information for HR and Benefit Directors and other Employee Benefit Plan Sponsors and Advisers: "Pitney Bowes enlisted the assistance of the Center for Work and Health to conduct a productivity audit to find the cost drain. Company officials were shocked to see they'd lost $51.7 million (the equivalent of 1,477 full-time employees) annually in lost production time due to conditions commonly associated with presenteeism, including nearly $10 million associated with cold and flu alone. Other conditions included headache, back pain, fatigue and gastrointestinal illness.
'Obviously, these were not the typical diseases targeted by disease management programs, because they weren't ones we could target with claims data,' Berman says. 'Still, these employees were there but not productive, so we had to find a way to manage the costs.' Research shows the average U.S. employee loses 115 productive hours each year to health conditions, costing employers an estimated $2,000 per worker per year. "

Yes, they are all here, but in the bathroom, it appears.

2004-12-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

According to a recent article in The New York Times Magazine, the "gut reaction" of a workforce to stressful conditions at home or at work can really sap productivity.

The New York Times > Magazine > Presenteeism: "The bank Comerica, for instance, sponsored an in-house health study that determined that at least 10 percent of its workforce of 10,919 suffered from irritable bowel syndrome and that the condition reduced on-the-job productivity by approximately 20 percent. ''People show up for work, but with the pain -- not to mention frequent trips to the bathroom -- they're just not very productive,'' a Comerica vice president said in an article in the October issue of Harvard Business Review. In response, Comerica sponsored a series of hourlong sessions with a gastroenterologist for its employees. "

Renewed Employment Confidence - Good News or Bad for America's Employers

2004-12-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

According to our friend, Roy Krause, Spherion president and chief executive officer, there is both good news and bad news for employers in their recent findings regarding employment optimism among those in today's workforce.

Spherion: "If personal confidence remains high and confidence in the economy and job market continues to rise, employers must keep a close eye on the job transition index, as workers may be more apt to make a job change. The combination of a strong job market and a desire for job change could create serious turnover issues for employers that have not focused on retaining their workforce during the past few years.'"

Search for New Employment May Be Behind Increased Presenteeism

2004-12-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

Although much of the recent literature has pointed to "reporting to work while ill" as the prime culprit in presenteeism, there are many indications that general dissatisfaction with the work situation may be a major contributor. Given the number of people who are looking for new employment, losses in productivity attributable to copy center time (printing new resumes) or online job search may be on the rise.

According to the 2004 U.S. Job Recovery and Retention Survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and CareerJournal.com. Thirty-eight percent of surveyed human resource (HR) professionals say they have noticed an increase in turnover since the beginning of 2004. It also finds that 75 percent of all employees are looking for new employment opportunities, and that top three reasons employees give are better compensation elsewhere (43%), better career opportunities (32%), and dissatisfaction with opportunities at current job (22%).

Reported in Internet Recruiting Industry News - December 2, 2004

A different sort of definition from across the pond . . .

2004-11-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

While we define presenteeism as showing up for work while functioning at a fraction of productive capacity, our British cousins have a related but somewhat different take on the word. For them, its the behavior (or behaviour) of suck-ups who stick around the office trying to look meaningfully busy. Here's their take on the subject:

"Among the new words hauled in from current usage and pinned down in the latest edition of the Collins Concise Dictionary is 'presenteeism'. Maybe an eager drone had stayed late in the office to ensure it was there, for 'presenteeism' is defined as working longer hours and taking fewer holidays than the boss demands.

Who would do such a thing? Those who feel that their job is insecure, answers the man credited with coining the term, Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Manchester University's UMIST."

Credit - Sally Kinnes, www.stressbusting.co.uk

Cost of Presenteeism

2004-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

If you ever wondered what presenteeism really costs employers, you need look no further than an article published earlier this year in the April issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (R. Goetzel)

The study showed that for many conditions, the costs of presenteeism were far greater than other employer-related health care costs, such as absenteeism or health and disability benefits. For example, presenteeism due to headaches accounted for 89% of the total cost of productivity losses using average estimates and 49% using low estimates. For allergies, the costs of on-the-job productivity losses accounted for as much as 82% and as little as 55%.
"All in all, this means that from about one-fifth to three-fifths of the total dollars attributable to common health conditions faced by employers appear to be the result of on-the-job productivity losses," says Goetzel.
When other costs were added to losses from presenteeism, absenteeism, and health and disability benefits, the most expensive condition for employers was high blood pressure, with an annual cost of $392 per employee per year, followed by heart disease ($368), mental health problems ($348), arthritis ($327), and allergies ($271).

Credit - Jennifer Warner, WebMD.com

With flu vaccine scarce, take steps to combat 'presenteeism' this flu season

2004-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

On the coattails of the recent HBR article, Knowledgepoint's HRTools.com update suggests ways to deal with sickness-driven "presenteeism" during the flu season:

Millions of Americans will be at increased risk of catching the flu this season as a result of an unexpected shortfall in the availability of flu vaccine. Add to that the threat posed by employees who come to work sick with the flu, spreading the virus. As a result, employers must be particularly alert to "presenteeism"—when employees come to work sick—during the coming months.

According to the findings of the 2004 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, 39 percent of employers surveyed report presenteeism is a problem in their organization. Presenteeism is a threefold problem for those employers:

Employees' lowered productivity;
Contagion to an otherwise healthy workforce; and
Workplace safety. Organizations that have low employee morale are at even greater risk of sick workers showing up for work, with 52 percent of companies with poor or fair morale reporting presenteeism is a problem.

With a serious flu season looming, the idea of the "hero worker" that manages to punch in for a full day's work, despite illness, needs to be discouraged. Being in contact with contagious individuals jeopardizes the health and productivity of all employees. Employers need to emphasize to employees that while they need them at work, they first want a healthy workplace.

Following this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Good Health Guide" simple tip when possible is a good practice: Stay home when you are sick!

The concern, however, is that some traditional absence control and sick day policies may inadvertently encourage employee presenteeism. Organizations that adhere to traditional sick day policies, and take disciplinary action to enforce them, may be making it difficult for employees to do the right thing and stay home. According to the CCH survey, disciplinary action is the single most common absence control program—used by 91 percent of organizations surveyed.

For example, in an organization that allots each employee five sick days a year, and takes disciplinary action on the sixth absence, an employee who has been wiped out with the flu for several days may choose to come to work ill rather than risk the discipline. This is especially true at the beginning of the year, when employees are concerned about depleting all of their allowed leave in just a month or two. Unfortunately, that time also is the height of flu season.
Some employees can offset the risk of a poor health year if their employer allows them to carry over the sick days that they didn't use in healthier years. The CCH survey found, however, that employers are cutting back on this option. The number of employers allowing employees to carry over sick time from one year to the next has dropped from 51 percent in 2000 to 37 percent in 2004. As a result, employees that may have accumulated sick days this year may not have access to them in the next year.

Employers are, however, taking other steps to help employees effectively manage time off. To help employees deal with various health and personal issues that arise from year to year, 63 percent of employers offer a Paid Leave Bank, also known as Paid Time Off (PTO), under which personal, vacation and sick days are combined into a single bank of days that the employee can use in any way he or she needs.

With a PTO program, the employee has more discretion on how to use the days, so if he's sick, he can take a day from the bank and stay home, without the fear of being reprimanded or running out of sick days at the beginning of the year.
Things for employers to consider . . .

Among the steps employers can take to help ensure a healthier workplace and minimize flu season disruptions:

Foster a healthy environment: Speak with managers to ensure they're fostering an environment that makes ill employees comfortable to ask to leave the workplace or, better yet, not report to work in the first place.
Set a good example: Managers should be urged not to show up at the workplace with the flu as employees may otherwise simply view the message to stay home as lip service.
Set guidelines and make them visible to employees: Help them understand under what conditions they should stay home, and when it's safe to return to work.
Revisit your EAP and healthcare support services: Determine if there is a hotline or web site you can communicate to your employees where they can access FAQs, get guidance on taking care of their health during flu season and get more information about related healthcare issues.
Review absence control policies to ensure they are not counterproductive: Programs such as disciplinary action need to be assessed to ensure they are not making ill employees feel required to report to work.
Post helpful tips on how to avoid spreading germs, with guidance offered on the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm#goodhabits. Use posters, or offer the information on your corporate Intranet.
Work with your employees and facilities group to keep common areas clean: Make sure that common areas of the facilities are cleaned regularly; this may even include cleaning conference rooms between meetings.
Recognize helpful employees: Consider bonuses, rewards or some other type of recognition for employees who step in to help do extra work for ill colleagues.

About the CCH Unscheduled Absence SurveyAccording to the 2004 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, released October 7, the rate of unscheduled absenteeism climbed to a five-year high with last-minute no-shows costing organizations an average of $610 per employee. Most employees who fail to show up for work, however, aren't physically ill, according to the survey. In fact, only 38 percent of unscheduled absences are due to personal illness, while 62 percent are for other reasons, including family issues, personal needs, stress and entitlement mentality.
Source: CCH INCORPORATED, hr.cch.com

TalkLeft: Canadian PM Caves In to Bush

2004-11-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

TalkLeft: Canadian PM Caves In to Bush: "something Germans called 'innere Kuendigung' or internal resignation of one's job. You go through the motions, but no longer do any real work for your company."

Let's hear it for our German colleagues, who've managed, as usual, to find the correct word for it (albeit with a umlaut in the original).

Times Online - Jobs

2004-11-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Times Online - Jobs

The recognition of presenteeism is dawning on both sides of the Atlantic. In Germany, the term "internal resignation" seems to capture both the content and the spirit of the problem.

Presenteeism a costly problem for US companies

We all know absenteeism can eat into company profits, but new research shows that presenteeism — workers at their desks but not at their best due to chronic ill health — is also expensive, costing the US economy $150 billion each year, according to Harvard Business Review (Oct). A similar problem, identified by German researchers as “internal resignation”, comes when staff are too demotivated to be bothered working

An Emerging Workplace Problem

2004-05-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

It’s 8:30 AM Monday morning in corporate America. Employees in cities and small towns across the country are filing into their offices, coffee in hand, ready to begin the work week. Or are they?

According to the March 2004 issue of Risk and Insurance, those people who show up for work, but who for one reason or another are not really engaged “due to outside factors that include chronic or episodic illness, distraction from family care needs, personal problems or other concerns,” are costing companies a bundle in terms of lost productivity. This workplace malady has a name. . .presenteeism.

And, the malady presenteeism has a cost. In the words of Dr. Wayne Burton, senior vice president and corporate medical director for BankOne, “Presenteeism has a major impact on a company's bottom line--more costly, some experts agree, than incidents of absenteeism. When you look at total costs, meaning direct and indirect costs to a corporation in terms of medical costs, absenteeism, short-term disability, long-term disability and presenteeism, our estimate is that presenteeism accounts for about three quarters of the total. The rest accounts for a little over one-quarter."

Uncovering presenteeism in the workplace, and providing clients the means to deal with its root causes before productivity slips is the business of Stress Directions, Inc. SDI has developed a methodology for quickly assessing, isolating and measuring the potential cost of presenteeism, based on its foundation tool, the Personal Stress Navigator®. Beginning this year, SDI is offering a series of certification workshops for business consultants who wish to incorporate this tool in their practice.

For more information on presenteeism, its impact on the workplace and the SDI solution portfolio, visit www.stressdirections.com.