Decreasing absenteeism
Decreasing absenteeism
There are actions you can take to decrease the absenteeism rate within your business and to improve the morale and motivation of a team in this aspect of performance.
Some employers who have experienced problems with employees taking frequent sick leave of one or two days have introduced novel and successful changes to terms and conditions that have overcome these problems.
One such model is to increase the holiday entitlement of all employees by three days and, at the same time, to change the sick leave policy so that employees are not paid for the first two days of any sickness period. This rewards employees with good attendance records and improves attendance in employees who might be too quick to take a day off when feeling unwell.
Note: you should seek professional human resources advice when implementing an attendance policy or changing your current attendance policy, to ensure you stay within legal requirements and accepted good practice.
Take a holistic view of your employees and consider whether the introduction of more flexible working patterns might help those struggling with their work-life balance. For example, around a half of lone-parents work full-time, while those who regularly miss work due to childcare issues might benefit from flexibility in their work patterns.
There may be a number of causes for an employee’s poor attendance record. Each case should be treated individually.
Long-term absence due to ill health or accidents should be managed sensitively and with understanding. A harsh approach will send a very negative message to other members of the team and may damage the reputation of the pharmacy within the community it serves.
Employees who have a poor attendance record or are persistently late could be managed by following established disciplinary processes, but cases of unfair treatment of employees on long-term sickness absence are regularly heard by employment tribunals. So before managing this type of issue, take suitable advice from a human resources professional.
“Don't overlook the impact of management actions designed to improve team working, recognise employees or improve services to patients in improving your pharmacy's absenteeism rate”
The initial investigative discussion with the employee may reveal that frequent minor illness is a symptom of an undiagnosed condition. Or that difficulties in home life are leading to persistent lateness, which might be resolved by a simple change of working hours.
Where a previously good attendance record or punctuality has started to deteriorate, consider reaching out to the employee and discussing the problem informally. You may find that the problems that have led to the deterioration can be identified and resolved, and creating a comfortable environment in which to discuss what might be a sensitive health or family issue will be appreciated.
Don’t overlook the impact of management actions designed to improve team working, recognise employees or improve services to patients in improving your pharmacy’s absenteeism rate.
For example, while improving workplace culture doesn’t happen overnight, incorporating health and wellness programmes, creating personal development opportunities and holding regular team events can lead to positive outcomes for many organisations in terms of improved morale and employee engagement and reduced absence.
Employees who don’t feel that their good work is recognised are twice as likely to quit. Recognising and rewarding those with good attendance records can act as an incentive to others to improve their own attendance records.
Pause to reflect
How does your attendance (absence) policy match up to the ideal contained in this module? Does it include:
- What an employee should do if they are not able to get to work
- Details of the paperwork required for periods of sickness
- Notice of the payments you will make during a single absence
- Notice of the maximum payments you will make in a financial year
- The procedure for taking time off for medical or dental appointments
- How a period of absence will be managed (return to work process, arrangements for contact).