SINGAPORE: Most employees hesitate to take medical leave because they’re afraid of strict bosses who might think they’re faking it. But for one Singaporean worker, the situation at his office is the complete opposite.
He shared that in his workplace, management isn’t particularly against people taking medical leave. There’s no obvious pressure from the top. Yet somehow, many of his coworkers still refuse to stay home even when they’re clearly unwell.
According to him, it’s common to see colleagues dragging themselves into the office with swollen eyes, nasty coughs, pounding headaches, and other flu symptoms, choosing to power through the day instead of resting and recovering properly.
He suspects this mindset might be something passed down from the older generation. “Perhaps it’s ingrained by the previous generation because my parents would be unhappy if I took MC (medical certificate) even if I was really ill, saying I will give a poor impression to employers,” he wrote.
“If I were deathly ill, the last thing I’d worry about is my employer.”
Cost of presenteeism
This phenomenon, where employees go to work despite being ill, is called presenteeism. And contrary to what many of the bosses think, forcing workers to go to work is actually hurting the business.
There is no single standard way to measure the cost of presenteeism, but Harvard Business Review estimates it leads to more than $150 billion a year in lost productivity. That is nearly 10 times the cost of absenteeism.
Reasons behind presenteeism
According to BetterUp, an American digital coaching and workforce development company, employees may insist on going to work while sick for several reasons:
They see the higher-ups doing it
If a boss or supervisor consistently shows up to work despite being sick, staff members may feel pressured to follow suit.
Over time, this behaviour can become normalised and embedded in the company culture, making it harder for employees to choose differently.
They don’t want to lose their jobs
Workers may hesitate to take time off because they’re scared it might cost them their jobs. No matter how much we try to change the mindset, some bosses still think that just showing up means you’re being productive.
And when that’s the case, employees end up dragging themselves to work even when they’re clearly unwell, just to avoid being seen as lazy or replaceable.
Their boss constantly questions their leave
When managers scrutinise or question sick leave excessively, employees may feel discouraged from taking it.
If bosses continue to contact employees during their sick days, workers may also feel there is little point in taking leave at all.
Workload concerns
This is one of the main reasons employees feel uncomfortable taking leave. They worry about returning to an overflowing inbox of emails or a backlog of tasks that they were supposed to finish days ago.
Why companies should stop this
Career experts strongly discourage employers from pressuring workers to report to work while sick.
According to HR Magazine, coming to work unwell can spark a workplace outbreak by spreading illness from one employee to another, increase the number of mistakes made on the job, and raise the risk of psychological harm among staff.
It also adds to stress and burnout. Working through illness can worsen existing health problems and may even lead to serious long-term conditions. Over time, this results in higher healthcare costs, more disability claims, and greater strain on company resources.
