THE ROLE OF HR IN ORGANIZATION SUCCESS - ABSENTEEISM IN THE WORKPLACE

 

Absenteeism in the Workplace

 Absenteeism in the workplace is a common phenomenon, costing the annually. Absenteeism, also referred to as a “bottom-line killer”, impacts the availability of the workforce and the profitability of organizations.

What is absenteeism

Let’s start with a definition of absenteeism in the workplace, or employee absenteeism. Absenteeism is any failure to report for or remain at work as scheduled, regardless of the reason (Cascio & Boudreau, 2015).

This is usually unplanned, for example, when someone falls ill, but can also be planned, for example during a strike or willful absence. The key to this definition is that the person was scheduled to work. This means that absenteeism does not include vacation, personal leave, jury-duty leave, or other reasons. Commonly used synonyms of absenteeism include absence, sickness, skipping, or taking leave.

Absenteeism in the workplace is most commonly measured using an absenteeism rate. This rate is the number of absent days divided by the number of available workdays in a given period. This absenteeism rate is a key HR indicator. For example, excessive absenteeism can indicate problems within the workforce or organizational culture. 

The impact of absenteeism in the workplace

Absenteeism can have a severe impact on the workplace.

On a personal level, high absenteeism can result in salary loss, absence discipline, and accidents when a person returns to a less familiar work environment and job impressions might change as a result of the employee's ability to justify their absence. The individual may be affected, but also their coworkers, workgroup, organization, family, and even society may be.

An example of the impact of absence on society is, for example, nurses. Nurses work in high-stress roles and often display a higher degree of absence compared to other roles. This has a very tangible societal impact due to a decrease in the caretaking capacity.

 The table below lists some of the negative consequences of work absenteeism on various people and entities.

Group	Negative consequences of Absence
Individual	Loss of pay Discipline, formal and informal Increased accidents Altered job perception
Co-workers	Increased workload Undesired overtime Increased accidents Conflict with absent worker
Workgroup	Increased coordination problems Decreased productivity Increased accidents
Organizational management	Decreased productivity Increased cost More grievances Increased accidents
Family	Less earnings Decline in work reputation Aggravated marriage and child problems
Society	Loss of productivity

 Absence could also be advantageous. The person can unwind while having less tension. Coworkers benefit from greater employment variety, the chance to pick up new skills, and the ability to get paid overtime for extra labor. The knowledge base is increased for workgroups and organizations, and the unit is more adaptable in responding to absence, making it simpler to replace the absent worker.

Why is absenteeism a problem?

Absenteeism is a problem for a few reasons. For one, it has the potential to bring down team morale, as one or more employees taking more time off than the rest can be seen as unfair and frustrating for those who do come into work. In addition to this, absenteeism negatively affects productivity and costs your company money.

 What are the causes of employee absenteeism?

There are a number of possible causes of absenteeism, some of which are more understandable and legitimate than others. Let’s take a look at the most common cause of extended absences:

1.       Childcare and eldercare: If your employee has children or parents who require care, they may be forced to stay at home when usual arrangements fall through. For example, if their little ones’ kindergarten is shut down because of a rampaging lice infection, they may have no other option than to stay at home.

2.       Disengagement or lack of motivation: If your employee lacks motivation and engagement, they may simply choose to not come in on certain days.

3.       Job hunting: Your employee may be taking time out of their job to look for another and go on interviews.

4.       Workplace bullying and harassment: An employee may be facing harassment or bullying at work and may feel unsafe or uncomfortable coming into work in these conditions.

5.       Commuting issues: If there is a problem with public transportation or traffic, it may be challenging to get to work on time. In extreme cases, employees may not be able to get to work at all.

6.       Depression and stress: A major cause of absenteeism can be depression and stress. If an employee suffers from depression, it can be difficult to find the motivation to go to work.

 How do you respond to employee absenteeism?

 It can be very difficult for employers or HR staff to deal with absenteeism, as there are legitimate reasons and poor excuses for absences. A company may require a doctor’s note for sickness or proof of excuses. But this can be difficult to monitor as well as unpleasant for the sick or struggling employee and can end up producing low morale.

The emotional, bodily, and environmental health of employees should be prioritized as a more pro-active strategy. There are several straightforward approaches to promote employee health. This is a terrific way to lower absenteeism because happier, healthier workers are more productive and more likely to show up for work.

Allowing and encouraging remote work is another way to lower absenteeism. Allowing employees to work from home, even a few days a week, eliminates half of the common causes of absence. While not the best option for every organization, if implemented properly, it can offer great advantages for both your staff and your company.

Employee absenteeism can be incredibly damaging to the workplace.

It’s hard to rely on collaboration when key members of your team are regularly missing work. This might mean that deadlines are being missed, goals are being neglected, and productivity is waning.

While there might be valid reasons for absenteeism that are out of your control—illness or a sick family member, the responsibility of encouraging attendance falls on you.

Ways to Influence Attendance in the Workplace

01. A Formal Attendance Policy

Without initially defining attendance, it cannot be required.

Include the definition and rules in your employee handbook and go over them with new hires during orientation. Identify the difference between being late and being absent. How late must you be before it's too late? And how many starts that are late are allowed in how little time? Create comparable regulations for absences. When it's time for employee reviews, ensure sure records are being kept so you have data to rely on.

02.Set Clear Expectations

List the procedures for notifying the appropriate people and how to do so when your employees know they'll be late or absent.

Let them know how many absences and late arrivals they can have before it becomes unacceptable. Excessive absences should have repercussions, and you should be open and honest about what they are.

03.Reward Good Attendance

Employees that have no unscheduled absences in a predetermined period of time may be rewarded, which is another way to encourage excellent attendance. It might be a tiny present, a monetary bonus, or even a gift certificate to a nearby coffee shop.

Additionally, if you're able to provide employees enough time off, they'll have the choice of scheduling absences in advance or burning up a set amount of prearranged hours.

These incentives can contribute to a productive workplace culture, which can reduce the number of absences that might be brought on by a toxic environment.

04.Provide Employee Support

As was already said, there are situations when excuses for excessive absences are both highly legitimate and unavoidable—a family member may be unwell and they may face another hardship in their personal lives.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) can assist workers in getting through difficult times and give them the impression that their employers value their contributions to the business and care about them as people. You may provide them with resources to help them navigate their personal or financial challenges so they can get back on track and start working again.

 

AIHR (2022) Absenteeism in the Workplace: A Full Guide https://www.aihr.com/blog/absenteeism/

Naturalhr(2022) What causes employee absenteeism? https://www.naturalhr.com/2022/06/16/what-causes-employee-absenteeism/

Priestaff site credits (2022) Four Ways to Influence Attendance in the Workplace

https://www.staffingagenciesdenver.com/2019/03/26/influence-attendance-in-the-workplace/