Many employers view absenteeism as a large source of loss for an organization and many companies commonly develop specific policies to combat the indirect costs of lost productivity. This common misconception encourages employees to avoid missing work when they’re sick, and often they’re unable to perform at their usual level of efficiency. Recent studies have shown that the combination of health care costs for the employee, coupled with their lack of productivity during the workday, has a far greater effect to an employer than if the individual had simply taken sick days and stayed home. This phenomenon of “presenteeism” is quickly becoming an emerging concern in the workplace.
When taking a closer look into presenteeism, there are multiple factors contribute to this trend, including blood pressure, cholesterol & blood glucose, weight, stress, exercise, and diet. Previous research has defined presenteeism into two categories: one being acute illnesses, such as a cold or the flu, and the other being chronic or on-going illnesses -- for example, diabetes. While the illness itself definitely plays a part, a recent study by Callen, Lindley and Niederhauser in 2013 examined the relationship between biometrical and environmental influences to presenteeism and their findings revealed that stress was the biggest factor. For workplace health professionals and employers, these results suggest that more focus should be placed in reducing the sources of office stress and providing proper education on stress prevention.
The employee and employer aren’t the only individuals that must deal with the negative effects of presenteeism; if you’re looking at acute illnesses, then coworkers are at risk for catching the cold or virus, potentially affecting the entire office.
One of the easiest and most practical ways to prevent both presenteeism and unnecessary absenteeism is to be proactive host an on-site flu shot clinic and encourage all employees to participate. A clinic is the most cost-effective way to make getting the flu shot easy and convenient for your employees. Plus, your company will face less risk of spreading inner-office flu, save on employee sick days and increase productivity. Vaccinated employees typically have 13%-44% fewer health care/provider visits, 18%-45% fewer lost workdays, and 18%-28% fewer work days with reduced productivity. This is just one example of how an employer can implement a health management strategy that strikes a balance between employee health and company efficiency.
Considering the research on presenteeism is still relatively new as compared to other workplace conditions, ways of measuring it and its effects on productivity have not been entirely established. As research into presenteeism continues to progress, industry health professionals must adapt to provide employees the best health care solutions possible. Whether it be preventable health care or on-site flu clinics, the key to ensuring employee health is through the continuation of health care research and the further development of workplace wellness programs. 
