Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Presenteeism Interventions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Presenteeism Behaviour

  • 313 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of presenteeism interventions currently available in the literature, such as health promotion, exercise, counselling, stress management and job redesign. Several recommendations for future interventions to manage presenteeism behaviour in the workplace are then considered. These recommendations include tailoring interventions based on different categories of presenteeism; the role of positive work environments; the importance of providing mental health awareness, education and training across all levels of an organisation; and the utility of occupational medicine and digital technologies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    For a detailed critical review of the intervention studies included in the systematic review including their methodological validity, findings and limitations see Additional Files 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Cancelliere et al., 2011).

References

  • Ammendolia, C., Côté, P., Cancelliere, C., Cassidy, J. D., Hartvigsen, J., Boyle, E., Soklaridis, S., Stern, P., & Amick, B. (2016). Healthy and productive workers: Using intervention mapping to design a workplace health promotion and wellness program to improve presenteeism. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arjona-Fuentes, J. M., Ariza-Montes, A., Han, H., & Law, R. (2019). Silent threat of presenteeism in the hospitality industry: Examining individual, organisational and physical/mental health factors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 82, 191–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Block, G., Sternfeld, B., Block, C. H., Block, T. J., Norris, J., Hopkins, D., Quesenberry, C. P., Husson, G., & Clancy, H. A. (2008). Development of Alive! (A lifestyle intervention via email), and its effect on health-related quality of life, presenteeism, and other behavioral outcomes: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 10(4), e43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, W. N., Pransky, G., Conti, D. J., Chen, C. Y., & Edington, D. W. (2004). The association of medical conditions and presenteeism. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(6), S38–S45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cancelliere, C., Cassidy, J. D., Ammendolia, C., & Cote, P. (2011). Are workplace health promotion programs effective at improving presenteeism in workers? A systematic review and best evidence synthesis of the literature. BMC Public Health, 11(395). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-395

  • Cattrell, A., Harris, E. C., Palmer, K. T., Kim, M., Aylward, M., & Coggon, D. (2011). Regional trends in awards of incapacity benefit by cause. Occupational Medicine, 61(3), 148–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coffeng, J. K. (2014). Effectiveness of a combined social and physical environmental intervention on presenteeism, absenteeism, work performance, and work engagement in office employees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56(3). https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000116

  • Conway, P. M., Hogh, A., Rugulies, R., & Hansen, A. M. (2014). Is sickness presenteeism a risk factor for depression? A Danish 2-year follow-up study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56(6), 595–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dababneh, A. J., Swanson, N., & Shell, R. L. (2001). Impact of added rest breaks on the productivity and well being of workers. Ergonomics, 44(2), 164–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demerouti, E., Le Blanc, P. M., Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., & Hox, J. (2009). Present but sick: A three-wave study on job demands, presenteeism and burnout. Career Development International, 14(1), 50–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, C., Zacher, H., Scheel, T., Otto, K., & Rigotti, T. (2020). Leaders as role models: Effects of leader presenteeism on employee presenteeism and sick leave. Work & Stress, 34(3), 300–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudenhöffer, S., Claus, M., Schöne, K., Letzel, S., & Rose, D.-M. (2017). Sickness presenteeism of German teachers: Prevalence and influencing factors. Teachers and Teaching, 23(2), 141–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, A. I., Pérez-Nebra, A. R., Ellen Costa, E., Aguiar, M. L. A., Zambonato, A., Costa, C. G., Modesto, J. G., & Ferreira, P. D. C. (2021). Presenteeism and productivity: The role of biomarkers and hormones. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 5014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrow, V. (2016). Presenteeism: A review of current thinking. Brighton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, S., Glozier, N., Henderson, M., Allaway, S., Litchfield, P., Holland-Elliott, K., & Hotopf, M. (2011). Depression and work performance: An ecological study using web-based screening. Occupational Medicine, 61(3), 209–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, S. B., Joyce, S., Tan, L., Johnson, A., Nguyen, H., Modini, M., & Groth, M. (2014). Developing a mentally healthy workplace: A review of the literature. https://www.headsup.org.au/docs/default-source/resources/developing-a-mentally-healthy-workplace_final-november-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=8

  • Howard, J. T., & Howard, K. J. (2020). The effect of perceived stress on absenteeism and presenteeism in public school teachers. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 35(2), 100–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, D., Lewis, K. L., Caputi, P., & Knospe, S. (2010). The cumulative impact and associated costs of multiple health conditions on employee productivity. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 52(12), 1206–1211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, D., Harvey, S., Glozier, N., Calvo, R., Christensen, H., & Deady, M. (2019). The relationship between depression symptoms, absenteeism and presenteeism. Journal of Affective Disorders, 256, 536–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karanika-Murray, M., & Biron, C. (2020). The health-performance framework of presenteeism: Towards understanding an adaptive behaviour. Human Relations, 73(2), 242–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mental Health Movement. (2021). Mental health workplace blueprint. https://www.mentalhealthmovement.com.au/our-services/our-mental-health-workplace-blueprint

  • Mills, P. R., Kessler, R. C., Cooper, J., & Sullivan, S. (2007). Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22(1), 45–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miraglia, M., & Johns, G. (2016). Going to work ill: A meta-analysis of the correlates of presenteeism and a dual-path model. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 21(3), 261–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, C. J., Vos, T., Lozano, R., Naghavi, M., Flaxman, A. D., Michaud, C., Ezzati, M., Shibuya, K., Salomon, J. A., & Abdalla, S. (2012). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 380(9859), 2197–2223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nurminen, E., Malmivaara, A., Ilmarinen, J., Ylöstalo, P., Mutanen, P., Ahonen, G., & Aro, T. (2002). Effectiveness of a worksite exercise program with respect to perceived work ability and sick leaves among women with physical work. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health, 28(2), 85–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Productivity Commission. (2020). Mental Health, Report no. 95. https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/mental-health/report/mental-health.pdf

  • Ramsey, R. D. (2006). “Presenteeism”: A new problem in the workplace. Supervision, 67(8), 14–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruhle, S. A., Breitsohl, H., Aboagye, E., Baba, V., Biron, C., Correia, C., Dietz, C., Ferreira, A. I., Gerich, J., Johns, G., Karanika-Murray, M., Lohaus, D., Løkke, A., Lopes, S. L., Martinez, L. F., Miraglia, M., Muschalla, B., Poethke, U., Sarwat, N., et al. (2020). “To work or not to work, that is the question”—Recent trends and avenues for research on presenteeism. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20(3), 344–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, A. B., & Edington, D. W. (2007). Employee health and presenteeism: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 17(3), 547–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takao, S., Tsutsumi, A., Nishiuchi, K., Mineyama, S., & Kawakami, N. (2006). Effects of the job stress education for supervisors on psychological distress and job performance among their immediate subordinates: A supervisor-based randomized controlled trial. Journal of Occupational Health, 48(6), 494–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viola, A. U., James, L. M., Schlangen, L. J., & Dijk, D.-J. (2008). Blue-enriched white light in the workplace improves self-reported alertness, performance and sleep quality. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 34(4), 297–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, P. S., Simon, G. E., Avorn, J., Azocar, F., Ludman, E. J., McCulloch, J., Petukhova, M. Z., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). Telephone screening, outreach, and care management for depressed workers and impact on clinical and work productivity outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 298(12), 1401–1411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whysall, Z., Bowden, J., & Hewitt, M. (2018). Sickness presenteeism: Measurement and management challenges. Ergonomics, 61(3), 341–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, T., Guo, Y., Ma, M., Li, Y., Tian, H., & Deng, J. (2017). Job stress and presenteeism among Chinese healthcare workers: The mediating effects of affective commitment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Alisha McGregor & Peter Caputi

Authors
  1. Alisha McGregor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter Caputi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alisha McGregor .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

McGregor, A., Caputi, P. (2022). Presenteeism Interventions. In: Presenteeism Behaviour. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97266-0_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation