The Unethical Consequences of Daily Presenteeism: Schadenfreude and Negative Gossip Toward Peers

This study investigates the social and relational unethical consequences of presenteeism-working while sick-in the day-to-day work life. Specifically, it proposes and tests a theoretical model of the interplay of daily presenteeism components-start-of-workday and at-work presenteeism-and its association with negative social interactions in the workplace in terms of unethical responses-namely, schadenfreude (i.e., the experience of pleasure at others' misfortunes) and negative gossip toward colleagues. In so doing, it identifies an explanatory emotion-based process linking presenteeism to unethical outcomes, that is daily anxiety. Combining conservation of resources (Hobfoll in Am Psychol 44(3):513-524, 1989) and ego depletion (Muraven and Baumeister in Psychol Bull 126(2):247-259, 2000) theories, the proposed model explains the effect of presenteeism on daily anxiety, which gives rise to schadenfreude and negative gossip behavior targeted at peers. Leveraging two daily diary studies (Study 1: daily observations = 664, individuals = 87; Study 2: daily observations = 528, individuals = 59) and multilevel modeling, the hypothesized model was empirically supported. The study presents novel insights into occupational health, behavioral ethics, and management, revealing the day-to-day social costs of working while ill that may affect coworkers' reputation, ethical culture, and internal cohesiveness in the workplace.