The seasons are turning, and with them comes the familiar wave of coughs, colds, and flu. As sniffles echo through offices and video calls, managers face a recurring challenge - ensuring their team members take the time they need to recover. It's a delicate balance. On one hand, there are deadlines to meet and targets to hit. On the other hand, a team member struggling through illness is not just detrimental to their health, it's counterproductive for business.
For many, the drive to push through illness is deeply ingrained – for me this feeling stems from my mother’s “It’s only a cold” approach. Some perceive it as a mark of dedication, a testament to their work. However, others argue this culture of ‘presenteeism’ - also known as working while unwell - represents a false economy. It prolongs recovery, spreads illnesses, and ultimately undermines the very productivity it seeks to protect.
The hidden costs of presenteeism
When an employee works through an illness, it may appear to deliver a short-term advantage. A project maintains momentum, and a deadline is achieved. However, the long-term implications reveal a more complex reality.
An employee battling a fever or persistent cough is not operating at full capacity. Their focus becomes fragmented, their energy depleted, and their cognitive function compromised. This results in errors that require time to rectify, reduced work pace, and diminished output quality. Research consistently demonstrates that productivity lost to presenteeism significantly exceeds that lost to absenteeism. One person taking a day or two to recover fully proves far more efficient than that same individual working for a week at 50% capacity.
The domino effect of sickness
In an office or close-knit working environment, one person's cold can rapidly become everyone's challenge. A contagious employee can trigger a cascade of illness throughout the team, resulting in widespread disruption and multiple absences. Even within hybrid models, introducing germs into the office for a day or two can create ripple effects lasting weeks. Prioritising one person's immediate tasks over the collective health of the team represents a risky and often costly miscalculation.
The road to burnout
Encouraging or even passively permitting employees to work while sick communicates a powerful message: your health is secondary to your work. This pressure to remain constantly available erodes the boundary between work and personal wellbeing, creating a direct pathway to burnout. When employees feel they cannot take time off to recover from a simple cold, they become far less likely to feel secure taking time for their mental health or managing more serious health concerns. Over time, this cultivates disengagement, reduced morale, and increased staff turnover.
How managers can build a culture of recovery
Fostering a healthy workplace transcends writing a policy and hoping for compliance. It requires active, consistent commitment from leadership. Here are four actionable strategies to make rest a fundamental component of your team's culture.
1. Lead by example
Your actions communicate more powerfully than any directive, although it’s sometimes easier said than done. If you log on and send emails while clearly unwell, you signal to your team that you expect identical behaviour from them. The most effective action a manager can take is to utilise sick leave when unwell.
2. Make your policies clear and supportive
Ambiguity undermines healthy workplace culture: Employees need crystal-clear understanding of expectations and confidence that they will receive support when following established protocols.
Review your sick leave policy: Is it comprehensive? Is it generous enough to discourage presenteeism? Ensure your team understands the reporting process and that they won't face penalties for legitimate absences.
Eliminate demands for doctor's notes: For short-term illnesses like colds or flu, requiring GP documentation often creates unnecessary barriers. It adds stress and administrative burden for employees who should be resting. Trust your team to manage their health responsibly.
Communicate proactively: At the onset of cold and flu season, send team-wide reminders about your sick leave policy. Reiterate your commitment to their wellbeing and explicitly encourage them to stay home to recover when feeling unwell.
3. Change how you talk about sickness in your company
The language we employ profoundly shapes culture. When an employee reports illness, their manager’s response can either reinforce or dismantle workplace pressure.
Avoid responses such as, "Oh no, we have that significant deadline today. Will you be able to log on later?" This type of reply burdens an already unwell person with guilt. Instead, offer supportive alternatives: "Thank you for informing me. Please focus on getting proper rest, and don't concern yourself with work. We'll manage things here. Let us know if you need anything."
This approach shifts focus from what the business loses to what the employee requires - rest. It builds trust and demonstrates genuine care for their wellbeing.
How sick is too sick to work?
So, where should we establish boundaries? Should someone stay home even for minor symptoms? The answer depends on symptom severity and work environment considerations.
If an employee experiences very mild symptoms but feels capable of working, remote work can offer a reasonable compromise. It protects colleagues from germs while allowing contribution if they feel able. However, the crucial element is making it their choice. Encourage them to listen to their body's signals. A ‘mild’ cold can rapidly escalate to full-blown illness without adequate rest.
If symptoms include fatigue, body aches, fever, or persistent cough, rest becomes non-negotiable. These indicate the body is actively fighting infection, and continuing to work will only prolong the illness and increase the risk of complications.
A healthy team, we know is a productive team
Moving away from a culture of presenteeism requires a fundamental mindset transformation. We must stop viewing rest as weakness and start recognising it for what it is: an essential component of sustained performance and productivity.
By leading with empathy, establishing clear boundaries, and normalising sick leave, managers can create environments where employees feel secure prioritising their health. The outcome extends beyond happier and healthier teams to more resilient, engaged, and productive ones. In the long run, embracing rest represents one of the most intelligent business decisions you can make.
If you’re looking for a talented professional to join your team or a new employer that breaks the mould, contact your nearest Reed office today.
