Presenteeism is one of those pesky problems which lurks in the shadowy corner of the office. It’s often overlooked because, on the surface, someone can just seem to be really committed to a job or focused on a project. But how can you tell the difference between commitment to a job and presenteeism? 

 

Here’s 4 tell-tale signs to keep a close eye out for… 

Once upon a time, there was a kind, selfless, intelligent & capable lady called Jane who was always friendly to everyone. 

 

Every day, she liked to make others happy, so she smiled, kept busy and put others before herself however unbeknownst to everyone she hid a big secret. Jane didn’t like herself, she felt deep down there was something wrong with her and that no matter what she did she would never be good enough and feared being alone. So, she tried and tried every day to be as kind, helpful, agreeable and people-pleasing as possible and hid any of her weariness, frustrations or resentments so everyone would like her. 

 

One day, however, after a particularly demanding time putting others first for a special occasion, she noticed everyone around her looking so happy and joyful in sharp contrast to how she felt - alone, low and empty behind her fixed smile. She considered all the years she had wasted feeling unhappy & not enjoying her life. 

When we feel depressed, we often also feel overwhelmed, tired and demotivated and the simplest tasks seem impossible or too difficult to achieve. As we then balk at or stop doing our tasks, chores or even getting out of bed our self-esteem takes a nosedive and we feel less in control than ever.