＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
Have you ever heard of the term “presenteeism”?
I actually only learned about it recently, but I think it’s an important human resources management point that modern Japanese managers and HR departments should pay attention to.
1. What is “presenteeism”?
“Presenteeism” refers to a state in which an employee comes to work but their mind or body is not functioning as expected due to some kind of illness, resulting in a decline in their performance (ability to perform their job). In Japanese, it is translated as “working due to illness.”
In contrast, “absenteeism” refers to an employee who is frequently or unexcusedly absent from work due to illness or poor health. This word is a combination of this term and “present” (present).
2. The Harmful Effects of Excessive “Presenteeism”
When I was working as a salaryman, “hard work is a virtue,” or even “supreme command,” I was told, “Don’t take time off even if you have a slight headache or a cold.” I was also scolded, “The reason you catch a cold in the first place is because you’re slacking off.”
However, recently, in the case of a cold, if it turns out to be influenza, you’re advised to refrain from coming to work for a certain period of time. This is perfectly reasonable, and even if you force yourself to come in, it would be a case of “presenteeism,” and above all, you’ll be spreading influenza germs to others, causing great inconvenience to the entire company.
3. “Influenza Harassment” and “Black Companies”
As you can see, many companies are now paying close attention to influenza, but last year I heard a concerning term: “influenza harassment.”
This “influenza harassment” apparently refers to cases such as “being forced to come to work even though your child has the flu and needs care,” “being forced to work on your days off for free after taking a few days off with the flu,” and “a part-time karaoke bar employee being told to find a replacement when she takes time off with the flu.”
These are companies that fall under the category of “black companies,” and I feel that, due to the labor shortage, such cases, including those that are not yet public, are on the rise.
Taken to the extreme, these cases could be linked to the dire conditions of the working class that Karl Marx witnessed in post-Industrial Revolution London, or the horrific scenes depicted in Hosoi Wakizo’s “The Sorrowful History of Factory Girls.”
Many people may think that such things would never happen in modern-day Japan, but I believe we need to be careful. I also hope that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will strengthen its oversight, including by taking measures against whistleblowers.
4. The Need for Careful Employee Health Management
Tuberculosis, once so widespread that it was described as “incurable” and “a disease that could destroy the nation,” was thought to have disappeared in Japan after the postwar chaos and the period of rapid economic growth. However, since around 1996, tuberculosis cases have been gradually increasing again. Furthermore, there has been an increase in cases of large-scale infections within the company (group infections), resulting in multiple cases.
More than 10 years ago, there was a news story about a large company where an employee died with their head slumped over their desk, but no one noticed. If a colleague seems unwell, managers and colleagues should offer a word of encouragement, such as, “You’ve been coughing for a while now. Are you okay? You should see a doctor.” It seems like we’re living in an “indifferent society,” where people are indifferent to others and lack warmth and humanity.
If you have a persistent low-grade fever or a persistent cough, it’s essential to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. I believe that managers and company HR departments also need to manage the health of their employees in a detailed manner, rather than simply thinking that a once-yearly health check or comprehensive medical examination is sufficient.
This is because “health and productivity management” will ultimately prevent the economic losses and harm caused by “presenteeism.”