TWH 7: Presenteeism – Why Work When You’re Sick?

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Oregon Health & Science Universtiy. Oregon Healthy Workforce Center
• Description:
  Our safety committee meeting today is about presenteeism - when a worker is on the job but, because of illness or other conditions, not fully functioning. In May 2011, a 61-year-old millwright with more than 32 years of experience was killed in an incident where he skipped just one step while repairing a pressurized part. One small error can be deadly, and this may sometimes be caused by presenteeism. Conditions contributing to presenteeism include infectious illnesses, such as cold and flu, and non-infectious ailments, including migraines, asthma, or depression. Presenteeism has been shown to reduce work productivity by 30% or more, and it can increase your risk of getting hurt. In the case of infectious disease, you can spread your sickness to others by coming to work sick. So here are some ways we can avoid the problem of presenteeism. If you suffer from a chronic condition, consult your doctor for help. If you do treat your condition with medications, check with your doctor to ensure you can still do your job safely. Avoid exposing co-workers to infection by staying at home during the infectious period of an illness, typically 5-7 days for colds and flu. Wash hands frequently and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to avoid spreading illness. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Disease Prevention Health Promotion Infectious Diseases Information Dissemination Injury Prevention Occupational Health Services Safety Education Total Worker Health TWH
• Publisher:
  Oregon Health & Science University
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Teaching Materials
• Place as Subject:
  Oregon ; OSHA Region 10
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053868
• Citation:
  Health Impacts Safety: Safety Meeting Guide. Portland, OR: Oregon Health & Science University, 2015 Mar; :1-2
• Email:
  montgomd@ohsu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Performing Organization:
  Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20110901
• Source Full Name:
  Health Impacts Safety: Safety Meeting Guide
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d33072c2813b02a329976067f8d6ff8db7f1f200dcd513177e8c9c78ceea999c9686cd184d3f7c6854aacbc8be7ccff91b9d93b335203c7cc44e203af9fce5c7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216554/cdc_216554_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 385.30 KB ]