Attendance isn't Performance: The Absence Challenge

This is the quieter drag of presenteeism — the hours worked while unwell or overwhelmed. It doesn’t show in absence data, but it’s seen in deadline slips, missed targets and tense relationships. So, the task is twofold: 

1. reduce avoidable time off 
2. Improve how well people perform when they are at work 

That means focusing less on policing presence and more on creating the everyday conditions that fuel engagement and performance. Quick fixes that chase a number are not sustainable. Practical changes to the work experience will.  

Here are five practical moves that hit both goals. 

1) Diagnose the real drivers 

Start by understanding why absence and performance dips are happening in your organisation. 

Do: 

• Compare absence trends with other internal data such as engagement surveys, listening sessions and EAP usage 

• Survey pressure points across roles and departments.  

• Measure workforce resilience to spot early indicators of burnout. 

• Acknowledge outside-work pressures and identify where workplace policies and support can make a difference. 

Delivers: a clear picture of the root causes so that action targets what matters most. 

2) Build manager confidence 

Confident managers surface issues early and keep teams on track. 

Do: 

• Prioritise core people-management skills: psychological safety, wellbeing conversations and pressure management.

• Provide a simple signposting route to support services.

• Develop manager behaviour with short refreshers and peer learning. 

Delivers: managers who have a stronger focus on healthy team performance.  

3) Design work people can sustain 

Doable jobs outperform heroic ones. 

Do: 

• Simplify processes, and remove redundant steps 

• Protect focus time and set meeting norms that support health performance.  

• Improve rota fairness and predictability. 

• Give autonomy to shape how work gets done within clear limits. 

Delivers: less overload that spills into sickness and higher quality and pace when people are present. 

4) Build everyday resilience skills 

Make healthy, high-performing behaviours simple and routine. 

Do: 

• Run short, applied sessions on key areas of resilience such as energy management, mindset and change. 

• Build micro bites of resilience into existing routines: a 60-second energy check at the start of meetings; a quick “next best task” reset after lunch; a 3-question end-of-day wrap (what mattered, what moved, what’s next). 

Delivers: fewer stress-related absences and steadier performance through busy periods 

5) Focus where strain is highest 

Narrow the focus to increase the impact. 

Do: 

• Find the pressure hotspots by role, shift or location. 

• Co-design fixes with the people closest to the work. 

• Track before/after so you can scale what works and stop what doesn’t.

Delivers: Visible wins on absence and meaningful gains in the metrics that matter

Bottom line 

If you optimise for attendance, you might fill seats. If you optimise for sustained performance, you improve results — and absence typically eases as a by-product. 

How we can help 

• Mental Health Training for Managers: practical skills for wellbeing conversations, psychological safety and pressure management 

• Resilience training: applied workshops and webinars that build physical, psychological and social resilience. 

Author Bio: Sandra Ordel is a Senior Business Psychologist at The Wellbeing Project, specialising in workforce resilience and neuropsychology. She works with organisations worldwide to measure and strengthen resilience, helping leaders build high-performing teams and cultures of healthy performance.