Employers have an important role to play in managing employee health and productivity. Presenteeism is costly.  A study by Advance PCS, a provider of health improvement services, found that lost productivity was significantly greater from days at work while sick (72 percent) compared to missed work days due to illness.  Thus the total lost of productivity is $250 billion annually, the estimated presenteeism cost is $180 billion.  Presenteeism could account for as much as 61 percent of the total cost of worker illness.  The chart to the right shows the average number of unproductive hours in a typical 8-hour day reported by workers with selected conditions.  While this table represents the high rate of presenteeism for the typical worker, those in the health care profession have a higher percentage, including suffering from exhaustion, cynicism, and general ineffectiveness on their job.  These symptoms can eventually lead to burnout not only for those in in the health care profession but those in other professions as well. 

Remember, as with most work related issues, awareness is the key, the origin, the beginning of finding solutions. Study your operations in light of the statistics presented in this report. Take actions to prepare for these inevitable situations and build their associated costs into your business model, rather than being caught by surprise at the end of the fiscal year with drastically reduced profit margins without a reasonable explanation. Smart business persons will become aware of the costs of Presenteeism and take action up-front to protect their business.

References:  http://hab.hrsa.gov/publications/march2007/default.htm
WGBH IBI National Forum on Health, Productivity and Absence Management 

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Who are we? OEHN delivers premier onsite Medical Director leadership and program oversight for employee and occupational health departments across the country. OEHN is supported by a team of Board Certified Occupational Health physicians, program management staff, project managers and consultants. Its network of twelve hospital clinics and a local, regional, and national network of occupational medicine resources provide labor unions, organizations, hospitals, disability management providers, and the government with a comprehensive portfolio of occupational medicine solutions.

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