In the office, but not at work: 4 presenteeism red flags
January 29, 2010 by Jared BilskiPosted in: Communication tips, Efficiency, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest news & views, Management issues
Presenteeism – when workers show up for work physically but aren’t in the office mentally – can wreak havoc on productivity.
If raises or bonuses have been light at your company, the possibility of this behavior increases significantly.
Here are some common warning signs of presenteeism you and other supervisors should watch for:
Red Flag #1: Clock watching. Presentees often have a “if it’s five o’clock, I’m out” attitude – and spend a fair amount of energy and time checking to see how close they are.
If you see this type of behavior in an employee, chances are he or she isn’t performing up to snuff.
Red Flag #2: Delays with tasks. Sure, everyone misses the occasional deadline. But presentees tend to do so on a regular basis, and they usually get defensive and blame co-workers for the problem. When managers see this red flag, it’s important for them to have a one-on-one with the offending employee – to see if there’s a larger problem at work.
Red Flag #3: Lack of follow-through. Presenteeism often manifests itself in a lack of follow-through on the part of the employee. Example: If a manager gets complaints about any unreturned phones, e-mails, etc., from a specific employee, chances are he or she is phoning it in.
Red Flag #4: ‘Hidden’ lateness. There are far more opportunities to be late than just clocking in. Presentees are legendary for showing up late for meetings, taking long lunches, and excessive smoke or walking breaks, etc.
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Tags: 'Hidden' lateness, Clock watching, Clocking in, Follow-through, Presenteeism, Presentees, Red flags
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
I see a lot of these rules broken. It is hard to implement them when they are the plant manager’s family members.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:37 am
It also puts a damper on employee morale when they see others continually getting away with these things and nothing being said about it to them. Especially if it comes down to the “who” is doing it. Front Desk Person, HR person, principals, etc….So do as I say not as I do.
June 21st, 2010 at 12:24 pm
When I was working as a tax secretary years ago, I struggled with coming in on time. It was extremely disheartening, though, to be in trouble for showing up a little late ready to work and watching my “on time” colleagues go to the coffee shop downstairs for breakfast after clocking in. They wouldn’t begin working for 30 minutes after they had clocked in but I was the one in trouble. The unfairness of it still troubles me.