Why We Just Can’t Shake Presenteeism

Since the pandemic, so much about work has changed. Yet presenteeism is still entrenched. Why – and can we do anything to get rid of it? Plus, the “lazy girl job” trend.

When so much at work has changed, why does presenteeism persist?

For many workers, Covid-19 altered our attitudes towards our jobs and how we do them. The conditions of the past three years catalysed a full re-evaluation of careers and values, and subsequently dislodged some staid traditions that have bogged down workplace progress.

In the new world of work, many employees have received what they’ve wanted from their employers – new ways of getting things done including flexible hours, remote working and even shortened workweeks.

Despite this, however, one entrenched feature of business culture that’s proved tough – and in some cases impossible – to shift, is presenteeism.

Before the pandemic,?presenteeism ?– a compulsion, often performative, to work long hours and be available around the clock even when unwell or unproductive – was a common part of the culture of many organisations. This has been particularly the case across industries including finance, consulting and tech, where?bosses have historically expected to see long hours ?from their workers, even when it’s not quantifiably tied to output.

Despite so many workplace-culture changes, evidence suggests that not only is presenteeism still entrenched, but it may also be getting worse. This might especially be the case as employee-employer trust waivers, and digital presenteeism rises alongside the fear of job security amid an uncertain economic climate.?

Can it change?

Read more from Josie Cox on the continued problem of presenteeism.

How the ‘lazy girl job’ took over work TikTok

In late May, 26-year-old Gabrielle Judge sat in front of a camera in oversized glasses and pigtails to film a TikTok about what she called the “lazy girl job” – a low stress, fully remote job with little oversight and a good salary.

“A?lazy girl job?is basically something you can just quiet quit,” she says in the two-and-a-half minute video. “There’s lots of jobs out there where you could make, like, 60 to 80 K and not do that much work and be remote.” As an example, she zeroes in on non-technical roles, where she feels the hours fall within a 9-to-5 schedule, and believes the pay is enough to allow for some financial freedom.

Judge’s concept – and the now-viral video about it – have struck an ongoing chord with workers, especially women.

Beyond the nearly 350,000 likes on Judge’s post as of this writing, the?#lazygirljob ?TikTok hashtag currently has more than 17 million views, with other young women describing their own lazy girl jobs. In?one video, a creator says all she does is “copy and paste the same emails, take 3-4 calls a day, take my extra long break, take more breaks AND get a nice salary”.

But both full-time content creator Judge and workplace experts alike say the “lazy girl job” isn’t necessarily about being lazy at all.

Instead, the term reflects a new mindset that’s taken hold in the era of the Great Resignation – one in which workers are increasingly demanding sustainable salaries and flexible conditions, while challenging the notion that hours clocked equates work accomplished.?

Read more from Bashirat Oladele on the trend that’s sweeping TikTok.

How will extreme temperatures and heatwaves change how we work?

Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization?recorded the hottest week on record . The scorching temperatures have not abated as heatwaves continue in?Europe ,?North America ,?Asia , North Africa and more.

As the planet warms, people are getting “stuck” in persistent weather patterns for longer durations, says?John P Abraham , a professor of thermal sciences at the University of St Thomas School of Engineering, US. “What used to be a 1-to-2-day heat wave is now 3-to-5 days. People who can handle a day or two of excess heat will have many more problems with longer durations,” he says.

As scientists predict ongoing climate change will continue push up temperatures and?normalise heatwaves , the way people live is changing. So is the way people work. Workers need to know what could be coming down the road for them – and companies also need to rise to the occasion to protect them.

Read more from Elizabeth Bennett on the connection between heat and the future of work.

Thanks for reading this week. More at BBC Worklife ?and?BBC Business every day.

–Meredith Turits, Editor, BBC Worklife