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.
