Absenteeism In The Workplace

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Employee absenteeism can be a significant problem for any workplace, especially when there’s a team dynamic and each person relies on others. The Department of Labor defines absenteeism in the workforce as people who are not at work.

Some situations of absenteeism can be planned for and are, in fact, part of the accepted ebb and flow of work. For example, many companies offer paid vacations and expect their employees to take advantage of this benefit. Likewise, maternity and paternity leave can be expected and planned for, which makes them more manageable cases of absenteeism.

When absenteeism becomes a problem is when it’s not planned and repetitive, this can lead to unexpected expenses and interruption in business.

Key Takeaways

• Any absence from work is considered absenteeism, but some of them are expected and planned for, and they don’t cause problems for employers.

• The causes of problematic absenteeism are many and can range from situations that are within the employee’s control to things that are out of their control.

• No matter what the reason, problematic absenteeism is an expense for the company and, many times, for the rest of the workforce.

• There are some tips and ways you can improve absenteeism and reap exponential rewards in terms of employee engagement.

Causes of Problematic Absenteeism

There are numerous causes of absenteeism in the workplace; some can’t be helped, just like illness or childcare issues. Other problematic absenteeism cases aren’t as understandable or excusable. Some common absenteeism causes are:

• Workplace harassment

• Burnout

• Disengagement

• Child and elderly care issues

• Depression

• Illness

• Injuries

• Job hunting

• Inability to arrive on-time

There are obviously other reasons, and some are well-intentioned or unavoidable, while others can become habitual and disruptive.

Cost of Absenteeism

According to a report by Circadian, a hiring company, it’s estimated that unscheduled absenteeism costs approximately $3,600 per hourly employee a year and $2,650 per salaried employee annually. Most of those expenses can be tracked to:

• Wages paid to absent workers

• High cost of having workers fill in for missing people

• Administrative costs of managing absenteeism

While those costs seem obvious and they’re easy to track, there can be an even greater expense involved, and these results are often harder to pinpoint. They include:

• Bad quality product

• Reduced productivity

• Brand reputation is harmed by bad product/service

• Physical and emotional stresses on others

• Safety concerns due to overworked and undertrained staff

• Poor morale

• Management having to make do

How to Deal with Absenteeism in Your Workplace

Tackling absenteeism is difficult because there are times when missing work unexpectedly simply cannot be helped, especially now as people are very concerned about protecting others from getting any illness or getting an illness themselves.

How do you allow for flexibility when people need to take care of themselves and their families, especially when an unexpected situation arises, while still cutting down on absenteeism? There are several different approaches to managing absenteeism that can be used together to improve the environment at work and cut back on absenteeism.

Flex Schedules and Remote Work

Not every company has the ability to offer employees flex schedules and remote working, but the Covid-19 pandemic certainly put a spotlight on jobs that can be done from home rather effortlessly.

There are many benefits to offering this option to employees, from keeping contagious people at home, which can prevent a slew of absences and illnesses among your staff, to boosting morale and improving job satisfaction.

Mandatory Paid Sick Leave

Being more understanding about sick days and encouraging your staff to take days off when they’re ill is a big plus. Some people who are against this say you’re encouraging absenteeism, which perhaps once in a while you’ll get someone who is playing hooky and doesn’t want to show up.

More than likely, they actually needed a mental health day, and this paid sick time off gives them a chance to mentally and emotionally reboot.

Make Better Hiring Decisions

If you have an employee who doesn’t like their job, it could be because they aren’t the right hire. Whether they want to move up, or their job is too difficult, and they need to move down, or they’re simply not right for the company. A bad hire leads to an absentee problem, and they can bring everyone else down too.

Take a Closer Look at Working Conditions and Management

Another issue that leads to poor morale, unhappy employees, and absenteeism is bad management. When you’re trying to determine why your employees would rather not be at work, the management needs to come under scrutiny, as do the working conditions.

Obviously, not all absenteeism can be blamed on the workplace environment and management, but there are definitely times when this is the issue.

Attendance Policies and Incentives

Remember in grade school when people who had perfect attendance got acknowledged at the end of the year? That was incentive enough for many children to make it to school. That approach can still work in today’s business world. Of course, a printed certificate won’t have the value it once did, but there are other incentives that you can use.

In addition to encouraging people to attend work, letting them know what the attendance policy is in no uncertain terms is important. Many people simply don’t know how many days off they’re allowed each year, and they don’t know if they get to roll them over or if they’re in a use it or lose it situation.

Promote from Within

If your employees know that they’ll be given first preference for jobs that open up within the company, they’re more likely to put their best foot forward to get there. But this step goes deeper because it encourages management to pay better attention to employees and what their strengths are.

It might also prompt investment in education, skills, and job opportunities for employees who are interested in moving up.

It’s Not Just Absenteeism

While not showing up for work is an issue, there are smaller versions of that that can also be extremely problematic and tend to lie on the same plane. They’re called leavism and presenteeism, which describe people who have checked out in some way. With presenteeism, they’re there but doing other things. Leavism is when an employee shows up but is late, leaves early, takes a long lunch, etc.

These are similar to absenteeism but more often have a morale element tied to them, especially if they’re habitual. Catching this “not at work” behavior is more difficult, but the good news is that the tips for curing absenteeism also work here.

Absenteeism in the Workplace FAQ

1. How does absenteeism affect workplace performance?

   The specific results of absenteeism on performance depend on the position of the employee and the business. But in a general sense, it causes other people to have to pick up the slack, which can slow down production or hamper the quality. It often also leads to resentment toward the individual and the company for letting it happen, or it drops everyone’s morale.

2. Can boosting morale improve absenteeism?

   Yes, in most situations, a boost in company morale can improve absenteeism. It obviously depends on the individual and why they’re absent, but when people are engaged in their careers and enjoy where they work, they’re less likely to be absent. This can also have an exponential effect, and it can increase productivity which makes it a great idea across the board.

3. Will requiring mandatory paid sick time help absenteeism?

   Yes, it’s likely that requiring mandatory paid sick time will help absenteeism, but this is still a topic that is debated. Requiring this time means paying it, which can add to a company’s expenses, but in the long run, it can cut down on expenses related to absenteeism, especially when you consider how one sick person can bring down an entire team or even a company.

4. Who is responsible for workplace absenteeism?

   The responsibility for managing workplace absenteeism often falls on management or immediate supervisors. But the individual who is missing work is ultimately the responsible party.

   Sometimes it’s an unfortunate situation, like an ailing parent that requires sporadic, impromptu care and other times, it’s more blatant, like an employee who doesn’t show up on Fridays because they’re hungover. While one situation is understandable and the other is irresponsible, both are the responsibility of the employee.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.