Fear of COVID-19 as a mediator within the impact of presenteeism on social loafing¹.

This study investigates the impact of fear caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on presenteeism—defined as employees working while ill—and social loafing, which refers to reduced effort when working collaboratively. Surveying 522 white-collar and blue-collar workers in Turkey, the research found that presenteeism significantly increases social loafing, and fear of COVID-19 both directly affects these behaviors and partially mediates the relationship between presenteeism and social loafing. The findings suggest that employees’ fear of contracting COVID-19 contributes to decreased motivation and engagement in group tasks, highlighting the need for organizations to prioritize employee well-being, clear communication, flexible work arrangements, and supportive policies to mitigate these effects. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, focus on a Turkish sample, and lack of clinical assessment of psychological states.