Having an excellent staff attendance record may be your greatest wish, but you need to be careful what you wish for.

As a manager you’d think that having employees not pitch up for work would be the biggest problem. But have you ever stopped to think about present but disengaged employees? You’d be surprised to learn that in addition to absenteeism, presenteeism also has a detrimental impact on your bottom line.

Read: Are you too sick to work?

Presenteeism leads to a loss in output because employers are present but unproductive, usually due to poor health and wellbeing. So these employees who are socialised to believe it leaves a bad impression to use annual leave or sick days, pitch to work with headaches and other pain disorders, asthma, depression, allergies and even emotional issues simply for the sake of pitching up. This is especially true in an environment where staff are being retrenched the belief is that ill-attendance ups your chances of being put on the chopping block.

The most popular excuses employees use to justify skipping the recommended rest needed to recuperate are:

• I can’t afford to take a day off

• There are urgent tasks that I need to be complete

• When I get back, there’ll be an even bigger backlog of work to complete

Defined as “being present at one's place of work for more hours than is required, especially as a manifestation of insecurity about one's job.” In other words, your employees tend to stay at work for longer hours than necessary simply to impress you… to create the impression that they’re dedicated and hardworking - even when they don’t have an overloaded to-do list! Unlike absenteeism, presenteeism is harder to identify and monitor, and only rears its head when productivity and performance drops, or when negativity has already spread.

To avoid dealing with a weakened workforce, focus on culture, engagement and policies to prevent presenteeism:

• Get to know your staff on a personal level as this will help monitor any issues that may affect their productivity

• Implement workplace wellbeing programs to teach your staff about the importance of a work life balance, while engaging them in various wellness activities.

• Be careful with an absence management policy that compels staff (with medical conditions) to come to work in an effort to avoid disciplinary action.

• If there are urgent deadlines, allow staff to work-from-home.

• Be open to flexible working hours, especially for staff who require time off to receive specialised treatment, regular doctor’s appointments, or anything similar.

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Staff morale should be your top priority as this improves retention, productivity, and ultimately the successful running of your show. To learn how to get the best out of your employees, check out Careers24’s top management tips and advice