Check out these tips for reducing absenteeism in the workplace from HR specialists! Click to enlarge the infographic!
The backbone of any business is its workers. That is why employers spend valuable time screening applicants for positions in their company. Capable and efficient workers equate to a successful and productive company. One of the top problems that many entrepreneurs deal with is having employees that are often absent. What are the causes of employee nonattendance and how can business owners reduce absenteeism in the workplace? Read on to find out.
The Causes of Employee Absenteeism in the Workplace
The most important investment in your business is your employees. Knowing how to improve the effectiveness and productivity of your workers will help your company achieve its goals. Absenteeism is one of the major reasons why businesses operate poorly. Here are the top causes why employees incur absences:
1. Illnesses and Injuries
Absences due to illnesses or injuries are unavoidable. It is, in fact, a valid excuse for any employee to not show up at work. However, the problem begins when the worker fails to inform the management that they won’t be able to make it to their shift. Many times, the reason for this failure of communication is a lack of a system where employees can accessibly and comfortably reach their HR team when they will be absent.
2. Bullying in the Workplace
There are many cases wherein employees avoid showing up at work because they are being harassed or bullied. The lack of an open-door policy discourages these bullied workers from reporting harassment concerns. A disengaged and unconcerned employer is also another cause why harassed employees avoid speaking up.
3. Low Staff Morale
Many times, employees skip work because they feel under-appreciated and overworked. Lack of freedom to voice opinions is a huge cause for decreased workplace morale.
4. Lack of Schedule Flexibility
Many employees find themselves in uncontrollable situations. They have no choice but to ditch their shift without having the capacity to make up for the lost time.
For example, when a problem with their child comes up or if an issue with their elderly parent arises. The employee in this scenario may find it challenging to make it to the office on time or give advanced notice. The lack of flexible work schedules means that the employee wouldn’t have any choice to work from home or come in early to make up time.
5. Stress and Burnout
Stress is the root cause of a multitude of problems. Employees who are stressed because of their workload or due to personal reasons can get sick more often. Stressed employees are more likely to quit without prior notice. A lack of a system that measures the level of stress in the office leads to absenteeism in the workplace. The absence of stress-relief activities also leads to employee nonattendance.
Learn How to Reduce Absenteeism by Implementing these Tips in the Workplace
Proactively maintain a healthy working environment, so that your business can continue to grow and operate efficiently. The following are a few tips on how to reduce absenteeism in your workplace.
1. Be Engaged with Your Workers
Your employees will appreciate it if you show them that you care about them. Although there are many ways you can show your workers that you appreciate them, it is still better if they hear it from you. Your employees need to feel that they are free to open up to you and that you are willing to listen. You do not necessarily need to approach them. You simply need to implement an open-door policy, which means that all workers are welcome to come and talk to you in your office. It also helps to have candies and other treats strategically placed in your office, so that any employee that walks in can help themselves to them.
2. Give Importance to Your Employees’ Work-Life Balance
A healthy balance between work and social life is vital to keep an employee sane. Too much work can cause an employee to decrease productivity, which can ultimately lead to absenteeism. As a prudent employer, it is vital that you are conscious about the workloads of your employees. If you notice that a worker is taking longer than usual to finish a task, do not reprimand him or her immediately. Instead, re-evaluate the amount of work that is given to that employee. If it is too much for one person, either reduce the workload or distribute the task among other workers.
It would be helpful to create employee wellness programs. These are activities that encourage workers to maintain a healthy lifestyle and allow them to take an allotted amount of days off. Recreational activities that involve sports, fitness, and travel are among a few that can be offered to your workers.
3. Provide a Flexible Working Schedule
These days, more and more companies are providing their employees with a flexible working schedule. Workers are offered an option to work from home, from an office that is near their home, or while they are away from home. In the past, business owners were concerned that their employees might slight off and become less committed. However, companies that practice flexible work schedules have shown that their workers have become more productive and engaged. Moreover, absenteeism has been substantially reduced in these businesses.
4. Assist Employees in Returning to Work
If a worker has had to be absent because of an illness or injury, he or she can sometimes have difficulty returning to the workplace. Provide them assistance by modifying the work environment to accommodate employees that are struggling with illness and/or disability. Offer the employee an alternative to his or her regular working environment. For example, you can move the work area of an employee with a knee or foot injury to the most accessible floor, so that he or she won’t have difficulty attending to responsibilities.
Here at Incorporation Attorney, we offer an HR Support program that can help you resolve various employee-related problems, including absenteeism. Learn more about this program today by clicking here.
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