FINANCIAL TIMES: Why nobody will thank you for soldiering on at work

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The answers to the presenteeism problem are not clear, especially if you work in an industry undergoing serious technological disruption, which seems to cover most sectors today. I phoned up one of the people credited with coining the term presenteeism, Professor Cary Cooper of the Alliance Manchester Business School, to see what he thought.

He agreed that there is not much to be said for “silly things” like ping-pong tables and office bean bags.

Rather, he thinks the solution lies in training line managers to be better at spotting when employees are under too much stress or ill, and dealing with the situation sensibly — skills that the average MBA student is taught too rarely.

I think he is on to something, even if management ranks are also thinning out in ever-leaner organisations. I do not expect anything to change soon but at least someone has come up with a better idea than handing out another batch of gym vouchers.