As digital technologies and homeworking become increasingly embedded in modern work practices, so too does the pressure on employees to remain constantly visible and responsive through work communication tools, a phenomenon we refer to as digital presenteeism. This study investigates which workers are more likely to or feel pressure to engage in digital presenteeism, focusing on differences by gender, parental status, ethnicity, and homeworking status. It further examines how organisational cultures, specifically, long hours work culture or bias against flexible workers, shape these behaviours. Drawing on UK data in 2024/2025 we find that particularly mothers and ethnic minority employees, as well as those in working from home occasionally, are significantly more likely to engage in digital presenteeism. Moreover, work cultures, particularly long hours work culture but also cultures that penalise flexible working, are strongly associated with digital presenteeism, and these cultural effects are especially pronounced for mothers and hybrid workers. Our findings highlight that the risks of an “always-on” work culture are not evenly distributed and may exacerbate existing workplace inequalities. The findings carry direct implications for HRM practice, pointing to the need for output-based performance management and cultural changes to address issues of digital presenteeism.
Authors Heejung Chung, Shiyu Yuan