"If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off." If those seventeen words sound familiar, it's because they rocked the internet in December 2021.
Indignation flooded the interwebs as Vishal Garg, CEO of Better.com, a digital mortgage lending service, laid off 900 staff en masse right before Christmas. Over a Zoom call. He said he decided based on "...efficiency, performance, and productivity" [of said employees].
You see, it's not every day that companies pull a Better on their employees. But according to HR Consultancy firm Intoo, nearly half of American employees experience layoff anxiety, despite record low unemployment rates.
Here's why that anxiety makes sense:
- Financial security: Our income depends on our job
- Personal wellbeing: Work affects our mental and physical health
- Identity: Many tie their self-worth to their career
Losing your job is more than a minor inconvenience. The resulting anxiety can fuel behaviors that lead to burnout, a state the CDC says can seriously impact workers' abilities to function. People will go to great lengths to avoid this outcome.
That's where the problem of presenteeism begins. In this piece, we'll unpack what presenteeism is, how it's rearing its ugly head in remote work culture, and what to do to avoid or fix it.
But first, let's explore what presenteeism is.
What Is Presenteeism?
Presenteeism is when employees show up to work but aren't fully engaged or productive. Originally, this meant working when unwell, staying late unnecessarily, or responding to work communications after hours.
- Working when unwell
- Working longer than necessary
- Responding to messages and calls outside of work hours
Today's definition has evolved: presenteeism describes workers who are physically present but mentally disengaged.
This is not simply a matter of workers doing the bare minimum to get by. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, a whopping 85% of the global workforce are not fully engaged at their jobs.
But this only applies to physical, on-site work. Or does it? Now that so many people log onto work from home rather than going to an office every day, how does presenteeism manifest digitally?
What Is Digital Presenteeism?
You might think remote work reduces pressure to "show up." Actually, it often makes things worse.
When you're out of sight from your boss and colleagues, you feel the need to prove you're working. This creates an 'always-on' culture where employees stay online 24/7 just to avoid going unnoticed.
To add to this challenge, many people are new to remote work and haven't yet figured out how to strike a healthy work-life balance while at home.
Research by group risk provider Canada Life found that nearly half (46%) of UK WFH employees feel more pressure to be present. And another 16% are working despite being sick because of redundancy fears. 20% of employees did so because colleagues/senior staff would make them feel guilty for taking time off.
What Is Fueling Digital Presenteeism?
Here's the root problem: historically, visibility mattered more than productivity. A "hardworking" employee meant someone glued to their desk, not someone delivering results.
This mindset followed us into remote work. People now try to prove their worth by being constantly visible online. According to a LinkedIn survey, remote workers have worked an extra 28 hours per month since lockdown began.
What makes this worse? These contributing factors:
- Job insecurity
- Unhealthy work-life balance
- Lack of trust and transparency between employers and employees. This can lead to micro-management and a 'notice-me' approach instead of a productivity-oriented one.
Also, it's feasible to conclude the stigma around mental health at work fuels digital presenteeism. We often laud the 'commitment' that spurs employees to be present at work even when it's uncomfortable or difficult.
Why Digital Presenteeism Is A Problem For Remote Teams
So why should leaders care about digital presenteeism? The Harvard Business Review calls it "being at work, but out of it."
The financial impact is staggering:
- US economy: More than $150 billion per year, according to an American Productivity Audit
- Japan: Around $3,055 per employee per year
But the financial consequences of digital presenteeism are only the tip of the iceberg. As employees strive to be noticed by:
- Working longer hours
- Keeping their Slack status as "available" beyond business hours
- Responding to emails or messages in the dead of the night
Therein lies the greater problem of digital presenteeism: Its impact on employees' physical and mental health-burnout, exhaustion, stress, anxiety, and other health implications.
How To Prevent Digital Presenteeism On Remote Teams
Here are some strategies that team leaders can adopt to manage digital presenteeism:
Have Clear Expectations Around Communication
Want to fix communication boundaries? Here's your action plan:
- Share your schedule: Communicate your working hours to your team
- Set contact preferences: Establish the best way to reach you during work hours
- Add email footers: Remind team members to only respond during working hours
Here's the key shift: focus on output, not hours clocked. If employees deliver quality work on time, there's no need to track their Slack status all day.
Another way to improve communication on remote teams is to consider embracing asynchronous communication, which removes the pressure for employees to respond to messages in real-time.
Create Policies Tailored To Your Team
There's no one-size-fits-all solution for tackling the issue of presenteeism in workplaces.
Blanket policies-such as a ban on staying connected after work hours-may not work for everyone. Some employees work best after regular business hours. And it will take open, honest discussions to figure out what works best for each team member.
Use your findings to create policies that are considerate of your team. This approach is backed by a systematic review showing that successful interventions to reduce presenteeism tailored their programs to address participant needs. When people feel heard, they feel valued and are motivated to do meaningful, productive work.
Check On Employees
Managers should schedule regular check-ins with each employee.
Remote work is new to many, and it's easy for some employees to slip into a funk while trying to figure it out. Check-ins demonstrate the company values its staff and help managers stay updated with team members' concerns. This aligns with research showing that successful interventions used screening methods like assessments to proactively identify challenges. That way, they're more likely to be proactive and support struggling team members, effectively nipping any disconnect in the bud.
For example, if employees tend to work longer into the evenings, check if it's because they feel pressured to or because it suits them. In the case of the former, it's important to remind employees to step back from work and take time off.
Foster A Positive Work Culture
According to a 2019 Glassdoor survey, 56% of workers consider a positive workplace culture more important than pay. On top of this, more than three-quarters of workers say they consider a company's culture before applying for a job. A great work culture fosters trust and transparency.
If you haven't established this type of work environment, employees may not feel comfortable sharing their concerns or struggles.
Lead By Example
When senior executives communicate and demonstrate that a healthy work-life balance is essential, the rest of the team finds it easier to follow suit.
Leaders can set an example by updating their Slack status or calendar to indicate they're taking a mid-day walk, picking up their kids, or working out. They can also make sure to set out of office responders and not check-in or show up as "available" on Slack while they're on vacation.
Even kicking off meetings by talking about their family life, weekend plans, and favorite TV shows shows employees the importance of their life outside of work.
Building Sustainable Remote Work Practices
A lot is changing in terms of how the world works. And it's important for us as leaders to recognize that in a remote environment, output is more important than time spent online.
As long as employees are getting their work done, we need to rethink how we approach the traditional work day and clearly communicate that to employees. This will help us avoid the impact of digital presenteeism and ultimately build healthier work cultures and happier employees.
It won't happen overnight, but each deliberate, well-informed decision you make will bring you and your team closer to being the most productive, happy, and healthy team you can be.
When you're ready to build global teams with the support of a platform that prioritizes both employee wellbeing and compliant employment practices, start hiring globally with confidence. Your distributed workforce deserves an employer who understands that sustainable productivity comes from healthy boundaries, not endless availability.
