Almost all modern organisations try to provide an environment to foster productive and satisfied employees; however, employees often disengage from their work for various reasons.
The most common form of work disengagement is exhibited in withdrawal behaviours, manifesting in work absenteeism, team member turnover, lateness/tardiness, and burnout.
1) Lateness: This can be a physical sign that a team member has disengaged from the company. Though limited, research suggests that lateness is a good predictor of the more severe types of withdrawal. This type of withdrawal is particularly true if the person is consistently late because it shows a lack of motivation to work on time.
2) Absenteeism: is exhibited when a team member fails to report to work, typically for an extended period or for an excessive number of days that have not been excused. Examples of excused absences may include medical appointments and pre-approved vacations.
3) Turnover: occurs when a team member leaves an organisation and frequently results from lateness and absenteeism. Unlike absenteeism, which has been looked at negatively from the organisational perspective, turnover is seen as having beneficial and harmful effects on an organisation. For example, turnover can result in new employees who may be more motivated and eager to help the company succeed versus long-term employees who may have lost interest and motivation.
4) Presenteeism: the practice of being present at one’s place of work for more hours than is required, especially as a manifestation of insecurity about one’s job. It occurs when a team member shows up for work but works in a limited capacity. Presenteeism can occur due to physical impairment, such as being sick with a cold or mental or psychological strain. Withdrawal behaviour is concerned primarily with presenteeism due to psychological reasons. For example, a team member might sit at their desk and stare off into space or spend increased time leisurely surfing the internet instead of accomplishing work tasks. Decreased productivity due to presenteeism is more challenging to identify and measure than absenteeism.
5) Burnout: can develop when emotional or other stressors become unbearable. Burnout occurs when a team member has exhausted all their mental and physical resources for the job. Burnout is defined as a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job and is defined by the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.
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