Absenteeismabsenteeism

How To Avoid High Levels Of Absenteeism In The Workplace?

When does an employee’s attendance record become an issue? If you notice an employee exhibiting indicators of excessive absence, you may need to act. There are several reasons why an employee could take time off from work, ranging from legitimate vacation time to short-term sickness or long-term health difficulties. Even a misunderstanding about shift patterns might cause an individual to miss a day of work.

Unauthorized absences can be disastrous for businesses, owing to the lack of a strategy to cover the task of the absent employee. An occasional day of worker absence may not be a big deal, but persistent absenteeism can wreak havoc on a firm in a variety of ways.

So, what exactly is excessive absenteeism, and what can businesses do to prevent it?

What Is Absenteeism?

Absenteeism can be defined as time absent from work for no apparent cause. Unauthorized absence occurs when an employee does not come to work, offers no explanation, and does not contact their employer. It goes beyond permitted days away from the office for valid reasons such as scheduled yearly leave, illness, and family situations. Unauthorized absences can include extended lunches on a regular basis, late beginnings, and often leaving early, as well as complete days or weeks AWOL without disclosing the reason.

There are no clear and fast standards for determining when an excessive absence occurs. Individual employers must establish this in their attendance policies. However, even a single instance should serve as a warning sign that there is an issue that must be addressed. It might suggest that an employee requires assistance, a change in hours, or perhaps unpaid leave. Large organizations track absences effectively and have strategies in place to deal with those that are out of the ordinary. When absences arise and become an issue, sophisticated HR systems will instantly notify managers or HR specialists. However, many small to medium-sized enterprises lack such sophisticated HR systems. It implies that frequent and unauthorized absences may be more difficult to detect.

What Are The Most Common Reasons For Absenteeism?

There are several reasons why employees may take time off without first consulting with their employer. Causes might range from actual difficulties, such as mental illness, to grief, sickness, or family crises. The following are the most prevalent reasons for unauthorized absence:

  • Mental illness
  • Disagreements with management choices
  • Travel issues
  • Personal/family concerns
  • Workload/stress/burnout
  • Low morale/demotivation
  • Bereavement
  • Refused annual leave

How Does Absenteeism Impact The Workplace?

Excessive absenteeism at work has an impact on both companies and employees. Employers will lose productivity, incur more costs, and spend more time on HR administration and finding replacements. There is also the risk of losing business if customer service is poor owing to a lack of workers. Unauthorized absence also has an influence on the team; other employees may be unexpectedly saddled with more work, which is likely to affect morale.

How To Prevent Absenteeism?

Companies with the least flexibility in work arrangements are more likely to experience absenteeism. Unhappy employees, stress, and burnout are more likely to come from poor work culture, all of which can lead to absenteeism. Work-related stress, anxiety, and depression are on the rise. Many employees have been put under additional strain as a result of the epidemic, and the change to remote and hybrid work styles has also had an impact on some.

Employees are considerably more inclined to communicate their wants and be honest about their personal status in a company with a trusting culture. This is especially crucial given that many individuals conduct some or all of their job from home. While individuals have a responsibility, addressing cultural problems is the first step in any firm where absence is common. Managers must also have the skills to detect and address problems.

Resolve Legal:

The main cause of absenteeism is a lack of workplace culture. Workplace culture is important for any business to help create valuable relationships and encourage employees to speak up if things aren’t okay. If you are being treated unfairly at work, we are here to help. Resolve Legal is a law practice that focuses on workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Our experts will explain the legal system to you and take you through all of your employment rights and duties. Give us a call today!