Presenteeism is a phrase for being at work but not doing anything productive.

Presenteeism, according to Deery et al., (2014), is described as going to work while sick. When
you're sick and on duty, you don't do much innovative work for the company. Researchers, on
the other hand, have defined presenteeism in a variety of ways. Presenteeism, according to
D'Abate and Eddy (2007), is a circumstance in which employees spend an enormous amount of
time at work executing their jobs productively while also participating in personal business.
Employee behaviour leads to misbehaviour of an organisation. Cooper and Lu (2016), on the
other hand, believe that presenteeism occurs when people are physically present in the workplace
but cognitively and functionally absent. This definition is universally applicable. Presenteeism,
according to the latter, does not result in decreased productivity in the workplace. It has a
favourable connotation in people's thoughts, however it is the polar opposite of being mentally
present at work. Stress management, Job instability, globalisation, work
intensification, worldwide pandemics (such as Covid-19), and a variety of other circumstances
all contribute to presentation.
The economic approach, organisational behaviour approach, sociological approach and
feminist approach are some of the key approaches to presenteeism. According to the
organisational behaviour perspective, presenteeism is built on individual employee agency.
Employees are unaffected by their surroundings. As per the existing litrature employees of an
organization resist presenteeism while HRM experts are either unsuccessful or hesitant at
reducing presenteeism in the workplace. The importance of employees' mental abilities in the
workplace is elaborated on in the economic approach. According to this viewpoint, presenteeism
leads to the loss of staff or a decrease in organisational productivity. Being present at work when
sick and doing excessive work may provide short-term benefits, but it will cost you in the long
run. Sometimes, employees may become severely ill as a result of spending too much time at
work while sick and not getting enough rest. Employees with severe illnesses eventually become
unable to perform successfully. According to the feminist perspective, women engage in more
presenteeism (Claes, 2011) since they do not desire to be recognised as much as men. Women
pretend to work when, in reality, they are unable to work productively owing to gynaecological
and pregnancy concerns. Whereas, the sociological perspective refers to a growth in the power
imbalance in employees' relationships.
A number of initiatives can be taken by the HRM professionals in order to break the
unhealthy work habit of presenteeism. They may necessitate new policies and procedures of
human resource management, such as long-term and socially responsible HRM. They must urge
some adjustments to HRM policy and practise, such as a greater emphasis on performance
management and attendance. Job security has been cited as one of the main reasons for the
presentation (Bierla et al., 2013). If employees take lengthier absences from work, they are more
fearful of being replaced by someone else. The Global job board is extremely competitive, and
firms may easily replace any employee for a very low cost. As a result, HRM professionals must
insist various HRM practises and rules, particularly work-life balance, must be enforced.
Employees in HRM who maintain a work-life balance are better able to preserve their
productivity alongside their health. The HRM professional's first priority ought to be the
employees' well-being. HRM should not be overly strict with the employees, since studies
indicate that strictness in the workplace leads to decreased productivity (David, 2020). In
the presenteeism atmosphere, equality and inclusion are also important supporting aspects.
Employees must be able to take annual leave whenever they want throughout the year. HR
practitioners should concentrate on ensuring that employees have strong individual and
collective rights. HRM experts can take a variety of various measures to eliminate
presenteeism in the workplace. Employees can be motivated to work more successfully if
their leaders are effective. Management's pre-leave handovers to employees might instil a
sense of responsibility in them. Employees will be more focused on completing deadlines
rather than being psychologically absent, and this will eventually eliminate presenteeism.
Employees who are exhibiting presenteeism may be sent home by HRM specialists so that
they can rest and return to work in a better state.
Apart from that, HRM experts may reduce presenteeism by offering healthcare
benefits to employees, conveying business policies to employees, developing a culture of
care at work, setting positive examples, assessing team workloads, and remaining on top of
the presenteeism problem.
Conclusively, presenteeism occurs when employees spend an excessive amount of
time at work performing their duties while also productively expanding a portion of that
time to engage in personal business. Employee misbehaviour leads to organisational
misbehaviour. The organisational behaviour approach, the economic approach, the feminist
approach, and the sociological approach are all viable approaches to presenteeism. HRM
professionals can take a number of initiatives to break the harmful work habit of
presenteeism. Creating a sustainable and socially responsible HRM, managing attendance
and performance management, creating work-life balance, providing annual leave, creating
effective leadership, taking care of elective employment rights, providing quality and
inclusion,  sending employees home when they are sick, limiting the use of mobile phones at
work and caring for the well-being of employees are just a few of these steps. Apart from
that, HRM experts may reduce presenteeism by conveying business policies to employees,
offering healthcare benefits to employees, setting positive examples, developing a culture of
care at work, assessing team workloads, and remaining on top of the presenteeism problem.