Strategies to Reduce Employee Absenteeism in the Workplace
Absenteeism causes a financial burden to any business, as well as discontent amongst staff who are left to pick up the workload of an absent colleague. But there are things to be done to reduce absenteeism in your business. Below we look at some of these strategies:
- Reward
Providing incentives can encourage attendance levels to rise. High attendance can be rewarded through prizes, pay bonuses or even time off.
- Flexibility
The benefits of remote working can reduce unplanned absences. Where employees are empowered with flexibility they can more easily plan personal commitments around work, this reduces pressures and increases wellbeing. Flexibility shows an understanding by the employer of the individuality of employees.
- Employee Wellbeing
Happy employees are more likely to have lower absenteeism levels. Consider ways in which your business can improve wellbeing, such as offering an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Managing your absence process
Ensure that not only do you have a process in place for the absence but that you are following it. This doesn’t just encompass the employee informing their manager of their absence. This is the whole process from the initial call in to inform you, through to follow up checks on the employee to understand how they are doing, and a return to work interview once they are ready to be back in the business.
A return to work interview is a great opportunity to check up on the well-being of the employee, understand why they were absent, make sure an employee is fit to be back at work and look at whether any follow up is needed from a medical point of view. It is also a good tool to ease an employee back into the workplace and ensure the necessary arrangements are in place for their return.
- Use robust absence management tools
Whether you use the Bradford factor or follow a triggers system, an automated system is a great tool to keep you easily aware of absence levels and any patterns. A central and automated system giving you the information proactively where you have an absenteeism issue saves much management time.
Check out the Breathe HR to view their Absence Management system: Breathe HR.
- Follow through on consequences
Businesses should have a trigger system in place to review attendance levels. As discussed above, a centralised system can ensure these triggers are not missed and can be followed through on. Where there are issues around absenteeism conduct disciplinaries or capability procedures should be considered. Which process is chosen will depend upon the specific circumstances of the individual.
If you need any further advice on engaging employees, please contact us. We offer support to a broad range of businesses spanning various sectors, including finance, accounting, distribution, and architecture. Feel free to reach out to us at 0121 516 0299 or send an email to info@cloverhr.co.uk for additional guidance.
