Lifestyle

Why presenteeism is rife among teachers


(Picture: Phébe Lou Morson)

Earlier this week, the BBC reported an increase in the number of people who choose go to work when in they’re actually too sick to be there.

Whether it’s a snotty nose, a chest infection or a stress-induced panic attack, we feel compelled to rock up to the office when we feel unwell.

This is called ‘presenteeism’, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found evidence that it’s on the rise within the British workforce.

Their latest Health and Well-Being at Work Survey Report states that 83% of people questioned had observed the phenomenon in their organisation and 25% said that the problem had gotten worse.

Education is one work environment which seems to make taking a sick day particularly hard.

Ruth is 38 and lives in the West Midlands. She’s been teaching for 13 years and says that from day one, she’s been expected to show up and get the job done. No matter what.

She even turned up to teach when she had no voice to actually talk to her class.

‘The common phase ever since I started teaching was if you’re well enough to get out of bed, you are well enough to come into work,’ Ruth tells Metro.co.uk. ‘This is something I’ve always stuck to.’

Although there’s no direct pressure from colleagues, she says that the stress of covering classes for others in the past has made her reluctant to ask them to return the favour.

Ruth explains that the logistics of phoning in sick are quite often more hassle than they’re worth.

‘You have to make sure you have rung in very early in the morning,’ says Ruth. ‘Then having to think of topics and tasks that can be easily handled by someone who doesn’t teach your subject. Write it all up, find the relevant worksheets, etc. I’d rather go in.’

29-year-old ex-teacher Jo says that she was repeatedly told by fellow staff members to take time off to get better.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

But like Ruth, she found that just one day off would lead to more stress in the long run.

Jo tells us: ‘I would often find that having to sort resources and lesson plans for a covering teacher took me twice as long as if I was going to teach myself, as the plan would need to be more detailed and would often differ from what I would have done as their teacher with them.

‘This was especially the case when you did not know anything about the person covering.’

Jo says that when she did take the odd sick day, she would often end up planning the next day’s lesson instead of recuperating.

The general consensus seems to be that there isn’t enough support for teachers who are absent due to illness, making presenteeism the least painful option.

The 2018 Teacher Wellbeing Index found that 36% of teachers feel they have no form of mental health support at work. A huge 64% of schools admits they don’t regularly survey their staff to gauge their sense of wellbeing.

Counselling Directory member Louise Whitnall says that choosing to go to work with an illness is a personal choice, depending on how extreme your symptoms are.

‘For those who are physically unwell, it may just be not possible to work and the only way to get well is to rest,’ says Louise. ‘With mental illness, sometimes work is a useful tool to help people manage their depression.

‘Work is very tied up with a sense of identity, respect, meaning and usefulness, all elements that make up a healthy state of mind.’

You should make sure you talk to your GP about the pros and cons of working in relation to your own specific health concerns, but Louise warns that presenteeism could negatively affect your mental wellbeing if you choose to ignore medical advice.

‘The long-term implications of not taking time out will cause stress and could lead to a state of deep depression which will be much more difficult to get out of,’ she explains.

Whether you choose to go to work or not, she advises taking steps to maintain a healthy mind.

Although you may not be able to achieve all of these goals due to health or physiological reasons, she suggests outdoor walks, healthy relationships, keeping yourself free from debt and — maybe the hardest of all — finding an enjoyable job where you feel valued.





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