As the rise in home working blurs the boundary between work and home lives, it has become easier for people to work while unwell. But should you? Researchers from Nottingham Trent University studying presenteeism – working while ill – have designed a structured way for employees to consider if they should take time off work due to ill-health. While presenteeism can exacerbate illnesses and have a detrimental impact on productivity, if it is properly managed it can actually play a positive, therapeutic role in recovery and rehabilitation. The process to support employees in their decision-making has been created by Dr Zara Whysall, Associate Professor in Business Psychology at Nottingham Business School’s Department of Human Resource Management, postgraduate researcher Huijun (Regen) Chen, and Dr Maria Karanika-Murray, Associate Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, who are experts in organisational behaviour and workplace well-being. Dr Whysall said: “The shift to hybrid and virtual working places even greater onus on individual employees to make the right decisions when balancing health and performance demands, because they’re no longer surrounded by managers and colleagues who might pick up on issues and provide support and advice. “The most important thing which determines whether going to work while you’re unwell will be beneficial or detrimental to health is making right choice between sickness absence and presenteeism, considering the nature of the illness and your work demands. “In reality this decision process takes place subconsciously and very rapidly, so making ourselves aware of the possible steps may help us to reflect and become more deliberate in what we decide.” Here Dr Whysall and Dr Karanika-Murray explain the four-step process that employees can undertake:

1. Trigger – What has happened? How badly am I affected?

“People have different thresholds for when ill-health symptoms trigger deliberation over whether to work or take sick leave. For some individuals and some health conditions, the threshold for deliberation may be very low, whereas for others it may be high, and this is likely to be influenced by our emotional states, so this threshold may also change situationally, for instance when we’re experiencing stress,” says Dr Karanika-Murray. 2. Options – Ask yourself how can you adjust your tasks in terms of what, how, when and how much you do during the working day? What is possible and manageable without it being detrimental to your health? Dr Whysall explains: “Behavioural science has taught us that when we weigh up our options, we’re unlikely to do this in an entirely rational, objective way. Instead, the options that we consider to be open to us will be biased by various factors such as framing effects.  For example, in some organisations it depends on the company culture, how others behave and what leaders say and do. The consequences employees experience after they take sick leave may make employees feel that sickness absence isn’t an option for anything other than the most serious health conditions. In contrast, if a manager recently highlighted the importance of managing work-life balance, this may ‘prime’ sickness absence as a feasible option for a wider range of health issues.” 3. Evaluation – Once you’ve identified what you consider to be the possible options, move on to what’s desirable, both in relation to your own goals and the expectations of others.  What are the perceived benefits and risks, and what do you imagine are the potential consequences of your choice? Remember not to only prioritise work concerns such as whether your team will feel let down or if your boss won’t promote you. Instead, make sure you also consider related concerns, for example if you take the day off, will you get better faster? 4. Feedback – reflect on how well your decision served you; was this the right decision? Did it help you achieve your aims? Dr Karanika-Murray added: “Unfortunately it’s likely that we don’t do enough of this kind of reflection and continue to sacrifice our health for short-term gains such as meeting the latest deadline, not getting behind on our to-do list, and avoiding potential disapproval from our manager. But feedback, through reflection, is essential to help us adapt our behaviour and learn how to make decisions that work for us over the longer-term too.” Watch Dr Zara Whysall explain the research in this video.

Every company dreams of having an army of loyal and reliable employees. However, each working day presents new challenges, and each one of them can test the professional relationships at the centre of the business. This is especially true for warehouse workers. As they are often at risk of injuries, overzealous hours, and other unfair work practices, these employees are often among the most likely band to justifiably complain about their treatment. Few of them will have any qualms about expressing their ire, too, so it’s important to manage these situations carefully and with tact. What can be done to smooth things over here? How should warehouse worker complaints be handled? Find out all of this and more down below. Learn About Employee Escalation Complaints only begin as off-the-cuff remarks. Once things escalate, it can be harder to mitigate problems, and it also becomes impossible to wind back the clock, despite your inevitable regrets on matters. For example, some workers may approach their local council to enforce health and safety policies and receive lawful protection owing to their whistleblowing status. Depending on the scale of the issue, others may approach to media, publicising their grievances to a national or even international audience. Before you address real complaint cases, it’s important to respect and understand the consequences of any potential inaction. If appropriate, acknowledging potential fallout can motivate you to embolden complaints processes. You may also feel more confident and equipped to get ahead of any potential issues, cool tempers, and negotiate your way through any potential tensions. Maintain an open door complaints policy at all times. That way, any reputational damage from an employee complaint can be controlled, mitigated, and potentially subverted. If people think you’re approachable and can address their issues in the strictest confidence, that will likely be the preferable option for them in most scenarios. Be Diligent with Health and Safety The complaints process can be a lot less tension fuelled if there are measures in the warehouse to try and protect people. Being seen to make an effort can make a crucial difference to one’s perception of a work environment, communicating that the company in question at least cares. Companies like The Workplace Depot supply cabled protectors to businesses, preventing wires, hoses, and pipes from being stepped on. Not only is this a budget solution for health and safety problems, but coverings can also protect your equipment, ensuring that it doesn’t needlessly get damaged. It also prevents cables from tangling, leading to much less aggro and wasted time for your employees. The use of anti-slip paints and tape should also be in ready supply. Sufficient PPE should be readily provided, from hearing and eye protection to hard hats and bold visibility jackets. Conduct regular inventory checks to ensure that everything you own is available and not missing. Manual handling limits (20-25kg) should be revised. Training staff in the use of trolleys, and forklifts and pallett trucks, should also prevent avoidable injuries. Only sufficiently qualified staff should have access to this machinery, too. Furthermore, safety notices and signs should be placed along walls and equipment. That way, there’s no excuse for negligence to take place. Put Yourself in the Worker’s Shoes Warehouse workers are often undervalued. Because of this, employers can mistakenly view them as expendable assets and thus undertake harsh responses to any potential complaints. For example, Amazon fired employees who called for better coronavirus health and safety measures to be implemented. The unjustifiable course of action rightly attracted much scrutiny, plunging the company’s reputation into further disrepute. In the end, it’s important to be dignified and measured when encountering complaints from your warehouse workers, either personally or privately. Seek to clarify an employee’s remarks with patience and kindness. Assure them that a formal investigation will take place at the earliest opportunity. Involve the worker’s immediate supervisor and any HR personnel who may be able to provide constant support. Orchestrate a meeting with relevant parties and openly record and document the proceedings. You should also remind your warehouse workers of their rights to appeal any verdict they do not believe is satisfactory. Strengthen all the necessary channels and shepherd disgruntled workers through them, as it will prevent things from spiralling out of control. Thank the Complainant It can take enormous courage for a warehouse worker to approach you with a complaint. They may have real concerns about the treatment or safety of themselves or their colleagues yet risk upsetting the status quo anyway. Irrespective of the outcome, making a complaint is an ethical decision. It should be commended, as often, the employee’s decision to come forward will also give you a window to upgrade and improve your warehouse. A complaint can kickstart a teamwork exercise that elevates everyone’s well-being and prospects instead of something that leads to ruin. Thanking the employee can also shift the tone of the complaint. Where they may have anticipated their thoughts and feelings being challenged, they’ll instead feel appreciated. It can put people at ease, which is important when managing a complaint’s process.