n.1. the practice of coming to work when one is ill, injured, or otherwise unable to function at full capacity on the job. The resulting reduction in productivity is a growing financial and safety concern for employers, particularly since research suggests presenteeism is much more prevalent and damaging than absenteeism. Factors that drive presenteeism include a large workload (often involving multiple tasks and demands from several departments), fear of missing deadlines, fear of disciplinary action or job loss, missed pay, the desire to conserve leave for future use (for vacations, emergences, child care, family problems, etc.), loyalty to coworkers (i.e., “I’ve got to get in because my colleagues are depending on me and nobody else can cover for me”), company loyalty, and job satisfaction. 2. less commonly, the practice of staying at work beyond the expected hours to the point at which one is no longer effective
because of fatigue, boredom, or lack of useful tasks to perform.