Gelisim News

Personnel working while sick cause more loss

Asst. Prof. Dr. Seda Mumlu Karanfil, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Aviation Management at Istanbul Gelisim University, indicated that the productivity of the personnel who work from the workplace while they are sick is lower than those who never come to work, however, how efficiently they work could not be determined.

THE LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY CAUSED BY PRESENTEEISM IN THE WORKPLACE IS 72%!

Seda Mumlu Karanfil, Faculty member at Istanbul Gelisim University, stated that in the research conducted by the health improvement services provider AdvancePCS (2003), the productivity losses caused by absenteeism in the companies were 28%, while the productivity losses caused by the presence at the workplace were determined as 72%. Karanfil also added the following:
 “Today, many people have health problems, however, despite their health problems, employees continue to work without permission. While this causes cost losses for the workplace, it also causes low productivity for its employees. The apparent presence at the workplace, also known as presenteeism in the literature, shows that if the employee is sick or has different individual and organizational problems, continuing to work is a more costly and invisible problem than absenteeism.”

‘’PERSONNEL IS IN FEAR OF 'I WILL BE FIRED IF I GET A DAY OFF’’

Emphasizing that the personnel who continue to work despite being sick cause serious productivity losses. There is more than one reason why people continue to work without getting a day off when they are sick or have any individual problems. Asst. Prof. Dr. Seda Mumlu Karanfil listed the reasons as follows;

1. When an employee gets a day off, s/he may think “What if I get fired?” and may experience a job insecurity perception.
2. Employees may want to show their managers or colleagues how much they are committed to their work.
3. When an employee does not come to work, s/he may think that there is no one to hand over his/her job.
4. Employee may be expecting a promotion soon.
5. Employee's wages will be deducted on the days when s/he gets a day off.
6. Employee may have a workaholic personality.