We're so used to hearing about workers taking time off when people think they shouldn't, but maybe it's time to talk about presenteeism: working when you're sick and it would be in your best interests to take time off work to rest and recover.

Tackling presenteeism starts from the top, implementing and modelling clear, straightforward absence procedures. Encouraging total disconnection from work when sickness arises can promote a healthier and more fair system which prevents people from feeling obligated to keep working when they aren't fit to do so.

According to an AXA PP healthcare study, "only 24% of UK managers believe that having a cold is sufficiently serious to warrant taking time off work, and less than half, just 41%, wager that flu is a serious enough reason for sick leave."

This kind of managerial attitude inevitably works its way down the chain of command, with 55% of younger workers reporting that they attend work despite their health not being good enough to perform their tasks well, compared to 38% of workers over 45.

It might seem harsh but the insidious nature of employers hiding unfair expectations behind a veneer of "going above and beyond'' or guilting workers through reassurance that "we're a family here" is often done deliberately to get as much labour from workers for as little money as possible, without caring about the detrimental impact on the health of employees.

We can see the effects of this kind of attitude, as 21% of British workers who continue to work even when they're sick said that they do so because they "don't want to let their team down".

Fostering a good workplace culture is about respecting boundaries, work-life balance and knowing what your employees' time and health is worth. An ethical employer shouldn't want you to work for free, or to work when you are unfit to do so. Working when sick presents a clear and visible risk to staff health and wellbeing as viruses, stomach bugs, and other communicable illnesses can be easily spread around the workplace, decimating the workforce through preventable sickness.

It's also important to bear in mind that some people do not qualify for sick pay and as such have no choice but to continue working in order to make ends meet. There are resources and guidance available online if you are unsure of your rights and the statutory rates of sick pay employers are legally required to provide.

Another risk to the health of the workforce is overwork and burnout. If a worker is paid between specific hours, but is regularly expected to work before or beyond that time, their time and labour are being exploited. You owe your employer nothing except what is precisely stated in your contract, and any work you do over and above that should be fairly compensated.

If employers want to hand out additional responsibility, pay should increase to reflect that, and if a task falls outwith a worker's current remit or skill-set, adequate time, training and remuneration should be given in exchange. "Acting your wage" a term coined to reflect following the terms of your employment to the letter and refusing to go above and beyond without adequate compensation has inevitably come under fire from employers who see it as "slacking" and "ungrateful".

The concept of gratitude really has no place in the context of employment, the worker provides labour in exchange for their wage, not as a favour, or something for which they should be grateful. If a contract outlines the expected workload and hours a job entails, there should be no expectation to exceed this, and certainly no obligation to do so.

Employees should have a right to disconnect when not at work, and there are already a few countries that recognise this right as part of their employment laws. France pioneered the right to disconnect, formalising it in law after research showed that over 37% of workers were engaging in work-related activities outwith their contracted working hours, and that a staggering 62% felt that they needed stricter rules and regulation to help with this burden of responsibility.

When the culture of a workplace is unbalanced, it leaves workers with feelings of obligation and guilt, keeping them working long past when they should and leaving themselves constantly on-call.

The danger of an overwhelming workload and inability to disconnect are clear to see, as the 2023 UK Workplace Health Report states that “76% of employees report moderate-to-high or high levels of stress”. Many employers offer devices specifically for work-related activities, which can help workers to mitigate stress by compartmentalising and disconnecting while not at work, but if that's not an option, turning off notifications for work-related apps and email addresses when the working day ends is a cheaper and more realistic option for people unable to get separate devices.

With the rise in remote employment, as the line between work and home becomes blurry and undefined there is a tendency to work not until the end of your contracted hours, but far past this time, until a job, task or section is complete. It might feel relatively benign to work past your contracted hours, to answer work emails long into the evening and to let responsibilities eat into your lunch break, but this can represent a much more insidious attitude of dependency on unpaid labour.

Things like lunch breaks and time off are not favours, but a legal requirement for employers to provide, and employees should not feel as though they have to contribute their time and labour during these periods. According to the UK Government's website there are three types of rest workers are entitled to: breaks at work, daily, and weekly rest. Many people might not know their rights, and may be having their labour exploited as a result. You have the right to an uninterrupted break of at least 20 minutes a day if you work more than six hours at a time, you have the right to 11 hours between working days, and you have the right to either an uninterrupted 24 hours every week, or 48 hours every fortnight.

We should not encourage a culture which makes people feel guilty for taking time off to recover and heal. It might seem counterproductive, but encouraging workers to take time off work when they are unwell is better for both productivity and profits. Healthy and happy workers are much more able to cope with the demands of the workplace, and taking the necessary time to recover ensures they operate at their highest capacity when they return.

Don't feel guilty for not working when you're sick, or past your contracted hours, or over your lunch break. Hopefully if enough workers know their rights, maintain their boundaries and organise, opportunistic and unethical employers might finally give it a rest.