Sick working is a common practice in Finland, as work pressure and workload are some of the reasons. When employees work while sick, it can create a vicious cycle where they feel more pressure when they return from sick leave. In some jobs, tasks aren’t taken care of by others during an employee’s absence, adding to the pressure to work while sick.
However, working while sick isn’t always due to poor working conditions. Meaningful work and a supportive work community can also contribute to employees choosing to work while ill. A good work community can encourage greater responsibility for one’s work and conscientiousness, reducing the need for sick leave. Additionally, a sense of duty and the need to fulfill responsibilities, especially in sectors with workforce shortages like social and health care, can lead to employees working while sick.
Strict absence control measures such as making the first day of sick leave unpaid can contribute to employees persisting at work despite being ill. This can lead to future sickness absences as individuals may not fully recover if they continue to work while sick. Factors like perfectionism, fears about career progression, financial concerns, and the nature of the illness can also influence employees to work while sick.
Organizational psychologist Pekka Järvinen highlights that some individuals may have a need to maintain control over their work and fear negative consequences if they take sick leave. Slowly emerging symptoms like those of burnout or depression can also contribute to employees working while exhausted as they may not recognize the severity of their condition over time. Overall, various factors can influence employees to persist at work despite being sick, creating challenges for both individuals and organizations.
In conclusion, workplace absence control policies that make it difficult for employees to take time off when needed can be detrimental in the long run. It is essential for employers to recognize that workers who are feeling unwell should be given time off without penalty or judgment so that they have enough rest and recovery time before returning back into their roles with renewed energy and productivity levels.
To address this issue effectively, employers should focus on creating a culture that values employee well-being above all else by providing adequate support systems that enable them