Absenteeism is a crippling headache for British employers, and there is a race for a cure. Royal Mail has announced promising results from its program to reward employees for coming to work. Supermarket giants Tesco and Asda see promise in punitive remedies. Other companies swear by their ergonomic programs. Unfortunately, the relief of a cure will be temporary if it encourages presenteeism — a term for spending the day at work when sick or impaired.
Royal Mail is so pleased with the results that it will extend its “attendance management scheme” for another 12 months. Under the program, reported in Britain