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The Safety Of A Healthcare Worker For Being Sick, A Place Of Refuge For Those Who Are Ill

Decent Essays

Hospitals are known to be a place of refuge for those who are ill. It is expected of hospitals to know what is best medically for their patients and employees. On the other hand, a dangerous problem has resonated within the medical system that goes unnoticed. Presenteeism is a term that is not heard within the workplace; a more relative term known would be absenteeism. In context, presenteeism is the act of a worker coming into work knowing that they are physically unwell. Healthcare systems that set in place a strict attendance policy will inevitably have presenteeism. Not only does this punish a healthcare worker for being sick, but puts the lives of the patients in danger. Hospitals need to review their defective attendance systems. A lenient policy would help develop a healthy staff, and diminish the spread of contagious infections among patients. Occurrence systems are a strict way of keeping attendance high, but also presenteeism. Georgia Regents Medical Center goes by an occurrence system that counts points. Each unexcused absence equals one point; this point will not erase from the system for a whole fiscal year. A buildup of eight points will lead to this specific hospital rightfully firing an employee. Unexcused absences, such as family emergencies or illness can easily destruct an attendance record. Another issue with strict occurrence systems, like this one, would be the paid time off bank. For example, if an employee is having knee surgery, then they

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