The Cost of Soldiering On

What is presenteeism, and why does it matter?

Presenteeism means working while unwell and performing below your best. It is the single largest contributor to the cost of poor mental health for UK employers, accounting for around £24 billion of the £51 billion total identified in Deloitte's latest research. It matters because it is largely invisible: the person is present, responding to emails and attending meetings, but the quality of their work, decisions and relationships is quietly declining, and no absence report will ever capture it.

Here's the uncomfortable truth about presenteeism. Most workplaces don't just tolerate it. They accidentally reward it.

Think about the language we use. "She soldiered on." "He never takes a day off." "They pushed through." We say these things with admiration, and every time we do, we teach the whole team what's expected. Meanwhile the person who takes a day to properly recover gets a raised eyebrow. The incentives are exactly backwards.

The result is a workforce that shows up depleted, and depleted people don't just work slower. They make poorer decisions, miss things, snap at colleagues, and serve customers with less patience. Then, because nothing was addressed early, the eventual absence is longer and the recovery harder. Presenteeism isn't the opposite of absence. It's usually the prequel.

What does the alternative look like? Leaders who visibly rest and recover, because permission flows downhill. Managers who say "log off, we've got this" and mean it. Workloads that don't require heroics. And a culture where "I'm not at my best today" is met with support rather than a mental note.

The organisations that crack this don't just feel nicer. They perform better, and Deloitte's £4.70 return for every £1 invested is the receipt.

Want the business case and the training to act on it? Explore Mentality for Teams, or email hello@peterlarkum.com about organisation-wide training.