58% of HR managers fear losing staff to sick leave due to the mental health impacts of working in lockdown, which can stem from several issues such as loneliness, stress, burnout and isolation. 54% of HR leaders said they believed mental health issues such as the above had increased among their workforce since the coronavirus crisis hit and most workers have had to do their jobs from home.

With figures surrounding poor mental wellbeing in the workplace having increased during the lockdown, it is a cause for concern for many employers across the UK. Presenteeism has been an issue in the workplace for years, however, e-presenteeism has risen drastically during the lockdown and it’s possible that either poor mental health is adding to the rise, or e-presenteeism is adding to the increase in mental health problems noted by HR leaders.

What is e-presenteeism?

The traditional ‘presenteeism’ is when employees come into work when they are feeling ill as well as regularly working past their contracted hours. E-presenteeism is simply the same but during remote working.

What causes e-presenteeism?

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to e-presenteeism, but the main problem is the increasing inability for employees to switch off after working hours. Lockdown can be held accountable for this, as working from home and not being able to leave the house to differentiate the working environment from the home environment has made it very difficult. Also, 9-5 working hours are in decline, with flexible working becoming more popular amongst companies in the UK. While this has many benefits, it can also lead to higher levels of e-presenteeism when routines and policies aren’t properly implemented.

As an employer or HR leader, there are a few things you can do within the digital workplace to ensure your employees avoid e-presenteeism.

Assist employees’ work:life balance

With the rise of mobile-first workplace communication, it can be hard to switch off after working hours, especially as for many the home has become the workplace since March. For more advice on how to switch off when the home is the office, read our support booklet here.

In order to protect employees’ work:life balance, encourage them to finish their working day in line with their contracted hours. Avoid bombarding workers with too many tasks that become unmanageable and they begin to feel pressured to work overtime to complete everything.

Encouraging employees to take a regular and routine lunch hour during the working day not only shows your care for their wellbeing, but again allows them to switch off from work for an hour and engage with others in the home, go for a walk and just allows them to remove themselves from their working environment for a little while. Alongside this, encourage employees to take little tea breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout. This also helps boost productivity based on the Pomodoro technique seen below.

Create a supportive environment

It’s important to ensure your employees feel supported and comfortable enough to communicate openly and honestly about their wellbeing. Not only does this help to combat presenteeism, it also helps identify early signs of stress, which left untreated can develop into other health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Regularly conducting virtual meetings or phone calls with employees to check up on their needs, wellbeing and concerns really helps to engage workers and creates a supportive environment. It also enables workloads to be restructured for those who are struggling and boosts the element of collaborative working while at home.

Rewarding and recognising output rather than hours worked can really help reduce e-presenteeism. While there is no harm in acknowledging the long hours an employee has put in, rewarding them can encourage the continuation of working hours outside of the. contract. Instead, focus on rewarding results and tasks completed.

While the UK is in lockdown, many employees have had to cancel holiday requests due to travel plans evaporating due to COVID-19 Coronavirus. Although employees can’t travel anywhere, it’s important to encourage them to take their annual leave, as having time out to feel refreshed and relaxed not only boosts wellbeing, but productivity and engagement will increase when annual leave is over.

Fill your employee app, portal or intranet full of mental and physical wellbeing support advice for easy access to employees who are struggling. Looking to implement employee assistance programmes such as access to a 24/7 GP can also help combat poor employee wellbeing, e-presenteeism, engages employees and allows them to feel supported and valued by the company investing in their health.