Die with a smile

Pleasenteeism a new workplace trend due to which faking happiness can harm mental health

- Amisha Shirgave

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you are both mentally and physically drained and you seriously do not have it in you to be a social bee at work or for that matter even work? Despite all this, you decide to appear normal, happy, and focused! This phenomenon is called 'pleasenteeism'. It is the act of pretending to be cheerful and engaged at work while hiding stress, exhaustion, or dissatisfaction. It's a growing issue in workplaces across the world, often leading to serious mental health challenges if left unaddressed.

Pleasenteeism arises from a variety of workplace pressures. Employees may feel they need to maintain a positive attitude to avoid being judged or seen as unprofessional. In competitive workplaces, there is often an unspoken expectation to always appear enthusiastic and productive. Organisations expect the employees to 'crush it' and 'kill it' every single day often ignoring the fact that employees are human beings with beating hearts and other worldly problems in their lives.