Why do workers go to work when they are sick? A new study aimed to improve understanding of the main causes of “presenteeism,” as well as to help make managers more aware of the existence of the growing phenomenon and what triggers the behavior.
The study, by a researcher at the University of East Anglia (UAE) and Concordia University, found that high job demands, stress and job insecurity are among the main reasons why people go to work when they are sick.
A key finding of the study, “Going to work ill: A meta-analysis of the correlates of presenteeism and a dual-path model,” published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, is that presenteeism not only stems from sickness and stress, but also from raised motivation, resulting from high job satisfaction and a strong sense of commitment to the organization.
