The truth about absenteeism

post-title

Industrial Psychologist Phiona Martin provides a back-to-basics reminder of why absenteeism should be adequately addressed within the workplace.

Absenteeism is an employee's intentional or habitual absence from work. It is a problem that takes on several different forms. The definition does not only include being away from work but also includes taking sick leave when well, arriving late and leaving early, taking extended tea or lunch breaks, attending to private business during working hours, or other unexplained absences from the workstation or premises.

 

According to South African legislation, the maximum statutory allowance for sick leave is 30 days in a three-year cycle. Employers are not obligated to endure an employee’s frequent absenteeism indefinitely even if there are valid medical or other reasons. Furthermore, an employee who is off sick for more than two consecutive days (three or more days) must produce a medical certificate signed by a medical practitioner or any other person who is certified to diagnose and treat patients and is registered with a professional council.

 

The reason why HR, and business as a whole, should care about absenteeism is that it comes with significant financial costs, which ultimately impact the bottom line. Costs associated with absenteeism include: wages paid to absent employees, costs of alternative labour sources such as replacement workers, overtime pay for employees filling in and temporary workers reduced quality of goods and services due to stand-in labour that is likely to be less productive than the incumbent, low morale and disgruntlement by employees who have to witness continuous absenteeism and carry the slack for absent employees, and additional manager time that has to be dedicated to finding and training replacements, as well as addressing discipline issues.

 

[chro-cta slug=a-look-at-the-2019-chro-awards] 

Causes of absenteeism

 

Accurately identifying the causes of absenteeism allows for well-informed and targeted solutions. Some common causes of absenteeism include:

  • Low job satisfaction
  • Boring and repetitive work
  • Unfair treatment from supervisors
  • The unreliable or challenging transport system
  • Bullying and harassment by co-workers
  • Burnout, stress and low morale
  • Childcare and eldercare issues
  • Disengagement, causing little motivation to go to work
  • Illness and other medical reasons (these are the most commonly reported reasons for absenteeism though not always the actual reason)
  • Job hunting (employees being absent to attend other job interviews)
  • Poor absenteeism management from the organisation i.e. no absenteeism management strategies or consequences
  • Company's inability to provide adequate support to employees (i.e., employee assistance programmes).

Strategies and solutions to address absenteeism

 

There are strategies that companies can use to address and manage absenteeism within the organisation. Meticulous record keeping is key because you can only manage what you measure. Proactively monitoring employees absence can work as an early warning system. It is also useful to conduct return-to-work interviews with employees that have been absent for extended periods. These serve to welcome the employee back to work while also reinforcing management’s strong commitment to addressing absenteeism. Thirdly, it is important to have a healthy work environment as there is a direct link between employee health and well-being, productivity and absenteeism. Furthermore, it is important to ensure the company's absenteeism policies are well communicated and employees are aware of procedures for dealing with their absence. Disciplinary action must always be implemented when necessary and it is crucial that the company is consistent in applying its attendance policies. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are also a great tool to address absenteeism following the logic that healthier and happier employees are more motivated to go to work and their wellbeing results in increased productivity and higher morale for the individual workers as well as the entire team. EAP service offerings could include, flu shots before winter, stress management programmes, and physical and psychological health programmes. Lastly, it can be useful to introduce reward incentives for a good attendance records and deterrents for high absenteeism rates.

 

It is important to occasionally evaluate the structures and culture pertaining to absenteeism within the organisation by revisiting the basics. Poor absenteeism management will cost the organisation money and must be proactively addressed. The well-being of employees is critical to reducing absenteeism rate as therein lies many of the root causes.

Related articles

Why diverse workplaces are a must

Embracing radical openness and generational differences proves to be beneficial for businesses worldwide, writes Anja van Beek, talent strategist, leadership and HR expert, and executive coach.

What is the real cost of sexual harassment in the workplace?

Nelly Mohale, head of human capital at Decusatio, and Ginen Moodley, founder of Moodley Attorneys, explain how sexual harassment in the workplace doesn’t only have financial implications, but also leads to emotional and reputational damage for both the parties and the organisation.

Top