[Editorial] - Frontiers in Psychology - Special Issue 'Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19' [Editorial]

Abstract

[EDITORIAL]

As Guest Editors for the Frontiers in Psychology (Organizational Psychology section), we are delighted to announce that thirteen thought-provoking articles were accepted for inclusion in this Special Issue entitled 'Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19: New Trends and Contributions Regarding Sickness Presence at Work'. We believe all these research projects make a substantial contribution to the literature and will set the tone for future avenues of research on sickness presenteeism. In that sense, after a peer review that had the contribution of more than 30 high-quality international external reviewers with expertise in the domain of presenteeism, the 13 accepted papers highlight relevant contributions to the growing field of presenteeism. Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic experience has introduced conjunctural and structural challenges in society, economy, organizations, and individuals with determining impact in our life. More than ever, the act of going to work while ill (i.e., presenteeism) has been questioned and, consequently, the construct deserves to be studied in more detail. The therapeutical act of presenteeism (c.f., Karanika-Murray, & Biron, 2020) will never be perceived the way as it was before. Going to work with a contagious disease like the flu, something normal in the past, and sometimes supported by companies with climates (Ferreira et al., 2019) and cultures (Simpson, 1998) of presenteeism, will not likely be observed or even reinforced in the same way. Therefore, this new pandemic imposed some challenges for employees and managers and, as usually, when unexpected events happen, science moves forward. These papers represent just a few examples of how something so relevant such as presenteeism found room for a new era of research. With this collection of articles, we seek to provide some guidance for both managers and employees by helping them to clarify the 'should I stay or should I go to work while ill' dilemma.