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Presenteeism & Its Conceptualization:

A Literature Review (2019)
J M A N K Jayaweera and Dr. N W K D K Dayarathna

MBA ‐ SEMINAR IN HRM ‐ Dr. N W K D K Dayarathna

By
5266FM2018017‐ Ama De Silva

Outline
1. Introduction
2. Purpose Statement
3. Methodology
4. Findings
5. Conclusion

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Introduction
The importance of understanding Presenteeism
According to Garrow, 2016 and Hemp, 2004, cited in
Jayaweera and Dayarathna (2019) the cost of sickness
presenteeism is higher than the cost of sickness absenteeism
in relation to both direct and indirect costs.
According to Johns (2010) as cited in Jayaweera and
Dayarathna (2019) presenteeism based on Perspectives of
geographically distinct sources as European and “Presenteeism”
American.
Additionally Jayaweera
and Dayarathna (2019)
citing Garrow, 2016; Employer vs
Geographically
Employee
Hemp, 2004; Johns,
2010 notes sickness
presenteeism employee
and employer
perspective European American Employee Employer

Introduction‐ Perspectives
EUROPEAN AMERICAN

European researchers (Aronsson, American researchers (e.g., Koopman,

Gustafsson and Dallner, 2000; Simpson, Pelletier, Murray, Sharda, Berger, Turpin,
1998) Hackleman, Gibson, Holmes, and Bendel, 2002)
• Focusing on the understanding of the • Focusing on the consequences of these
presenteeism by exploring the factors behaviors with the quantification of productivity
driving to personal decisions. losses related to various illnesses that are due
• Concerned the job insecurity and to presenteeism.
levels of attendance that result in • Concerned with the impact of illness in general
stress and illness. and specific medical conditions on work
productivity.
• Mainly interested in the occurrence of
the presenteeism as a reflection of • Mainly interested in the productivity
occupational characteristics consequences of the act of presenteeism and
they consider it as a function of various illnesses
while ignoring the causes of illness.

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Employee
Introduction‐
• Psychological
•stress
•depression
•anxiety

Perspectives •drug addiction

• Physiological
•headaches
•injury
•back problems
•arthritis
• Work related
•sickness absence
•long‐term inability in work engagement
•early retirement
• Personal
•work family imbalances

Employer
•ineffective work environment,
•heavy losses,
•loss of productivity
•lower performances

Antecedents Factors‐ Sickness presenteeism

Organizational Job demand, job security, reward system, absence policy, absence culture, teamwork,
replacement, adjustment attitude, work hour, responsibilities, work control, supervisor
or Contextual support, peer support and personal factors such as work attitude, personality, perceived
or Job‐related justice, perceived absence, stress, job satisfaction and commitment

Individual or Work attitude, personality, perceived justice, perceived absence, stress, job satisfaction
and commitment
personal
factors

Complex Decision making

Problem

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Purpose Statement
The investigation question of this conceptual paper is:
• What it is the conceptual clarification of presenteeism?
• Review and analysis of literature provide answer to this inquiry question.

Methods of collecting Literature

To review and analysis on the
concept of “Presenteeism” the
study has used different methods
to collect literature using HRM data
bases.

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Findings from Literature

• 1892 Mark Twain ‐The American Claimant‐ originally used the term “Presentee”
•“as the practice of working more hours than required by one’s job, as a reflection
of one’s job insecurity” ‐ Oxford Online Dictionary

Findings from Literature cont.

‘In a general way revealed literature has elicited the idea in a very simple manner stating that working while they are sick
and few scholars defined it as working of employees more than the time assigned on a particular job’
(Werapitiya, Opatha and Fernando, 2016, p.1489).

Type of Presenteeism

‘Job stress‐related
‘Working employees
‘Sickness ‘Not fully engaged in presenteeism’ and Overactive and
more than the time
presenteeism’ work’ ‘Non‐work‐related Hyperactive
assigned’
presenteeism’

Aronsson & Gustafsson, 2005;

Aronsson, Gustafsson & Dallner, 2000;
Caverley, Cunningham & MacGregor, Gilbreath and Karimi, 2012; Wan, Werapitiya, Opatha and Fernando,
Simpson, 1998 Gilbreath and Karimi, 2012
2007; Garrow, 2016; Hansen & Downey and Stough, 2014 2016
Anderson, 2008; Hemp, 2004; Johns,
2011; Nuhait et. al, 2017,

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Findings from Literature cont.

Type 1‐ 23/40‐ defined presenteeism as being at Type 4‐ Job‐stress related presenteeism
work despite being sick occurs when employees fail to focus their
‘sickness presenteeism’ or ‘impaired presenteeism’ or only as mental concentration on work due to job
‘presenteeism’. stress. ‘Non‐work‐related presenteeism’
Recent definitions has include loss of productivity means that employees are mentally absent
while they are healthy and present at work
Type 2‐ 9/40‐ defined most similarly
presenteeism as stay at work beyond the time
assigned
‘working employees more than the time assigned’ and ‘non‐ Type 5‐ Present but not in work assigned
work‐related presenteeism’ and overactive and hyperactive in the
definition has include other conditions that bound assignment.
productivity. 13 observed Sri Lankan Context

Type 3‐ 8/40‐ defining presenteeism relates with

the dimension of ‘not fully engaged in work’
when employees are healthy and physically present at work,
but they do not dedicated themselves psychologically to their
work

Aronsson & Gustafsson, 2005; Aronsson, Gustafsson & Dallner, 2000; Caverley, Cunningham & MacGregor, 2007; Garrow, 2016; Hansen & Anderson, 2008; Hemp, 2004; Johns, 2011;
Nuhait et. al, 2017; Simpson, 1998; Gilbreath and Karimi, 2012; Wan, Downey and Stough, 2014; Werapitiya, Opatha and Fernando, 2016 as cited in Jayaweera and Dayarathna (2019)

Findings from Literature cont.

“Presenteeism is being at work despite
being sick, working more than time
assigned on a particular job, not fully
engaged in work, recorded as present but
not in work assigned and overactive and
hyperactive in the assignment”
Werapitiya, Opatha and Fernando, (2016, p. 1502)

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Conclusion
There is no single definition to explain presenteeism.
Due to this complexity the concept of presenteeism has faced complication in terms
of measuring.
As it is increasingly important on current and future practices of HR, due to lack of
concept clarity scholars, practitioners need to engage further in seeking clearance.

References
Jayaweera, J. M. A. N. K. & Dayarathna, N. W. K. D. K., 2019. Presenteeism and Its
Conceptualization: A Literature Review. Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource
Management , 9(2), pp. 8‐ 14.