The Organizational Impact of Presenteeism

Presenteeism is defined as the act of going to work when sick. Occupations that have a high degree of human interaction, such as healthcare providers and educators, have been found to exhibit the highest rates of presenteeism. The incidence of presenteeism among physicians has been reported to be as high as 90%. Various reasons are given for choosing to work when sick including a commitment to patients, unwillingness to burden coworkers, competition, and the lack of a suitable replacement. The topic is important in the field of radiology given presenteeism has been shown to reduce worker productivity, increase the likelihood of patient errors, and result in negative long term health effects. Radiology managers can discourage presenteeism by changing attitudes toward the use of sick leave and through health promotion programs to encourage healthy lifestyles.