Pillay, PreeadashnieScheepers, Caren BrendaDiesel, Rick2024-07-082024-07-082024-06Pillay, P., Scheepers, C.B. and Diesel, R. (2024), "Effect of authentic leadership on nurses’ stress, burnout, presenteeism during COVID-19", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 423-441. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-10-2023-0082.1751-187910.1108/LHS-10-2023-0082http://hdl.handle.net/2263/96853PURPOSE : The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened the health-care system and exposed nurses to immense stress. This study therefore aims to investigate nurses’ mental well-being who are working with COVID-19-positive patients. Burnout leads to decreased productivity and manifests as emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (cynicism) and low personal accomplishment (professional efficacy). Authentic leadership is built on a humanistic value system, which is the core value of nurses and other health-care professionals. This study therefore used authentic leadership as the independent variable. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A cross-sectional quantitative research method was adopted by distributing validated online questionnaires to 1,334 nurses in a private pathology laboratory and 241 questionnaires were analysed with 93.4% female respondents. Multiple linear regression model testing was conducted. FINDINGS : Multiple regression analyses showed statistically significant negative correlations between authentic leadership and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism, and a positive correlation between authentic leadership and professional efficacy. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : This study provides empirical data to encourage organisations to focus on developing authentic leaders to decrease nurses’ burnout, job stress and presenteeism. The health-care sector should strive to create an environment where nurses are valued and their talent is recognised to increase employee engagement and commitment. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : There were two contributions in this study: first, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism. Second, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership and the three sub-constructs of burnout.en© 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.Authentic leadershipNursesPresenteeismJob-stress-related presenteeismBurnoutSDG-03: Good health and well-beingSDG-08: Decent work and economic growthPostprint Article