Address Underlying Factors of Absenteeism
November 15th, 2006Unscheduled absenteeism can be very expensive. According to the 16th annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, it costs some large employers “an estimated $850,000 per year in direct payroll costs, and even more when lost productivity, morale and temporary labor costs are considered.”
This year’s unscheduled absenteeism rate is 2.5 percent – the highest since 1999 (at 2.7).
2 out of 3 employees are absent for reasons other than personal illness.
Key findings:
Employees aren’t coming to work because of family issues and personal needs, more than any other single factor.
Morale continues to have a big impact on absenteeism. Companies reporting poor/fair morale have a 2.9 percent absence rate compared to a rate of just 2.2 percent at organizations with good/very good morale.
The most utilized absence control programs are disciplinary action and yearly reviews. But flexible work-life programs are also popular. Common programs are an employee assistance plan, wellness programs, leave for school functions, and flu-shot programs.
Why are your employees not coming to work? Overall, the findings are:
- Family issues – 24 percent
- Personal needs – 18 percent
- Stress/burnout – 12 percent
- Entitlement mentality – 11 percent
With unscheduled absences trending upward this decade, companies need to understand why employees are calling in at the last minute and what impact this has on other employees, productivity and the bottom line. Employers that take the time to gather this information will find themselves more able to assess both the hard and hidden costs of absenteeism effectively and to better identify what programs can be used to keep employees on the job.
(16th annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey)
Action Plan:
- Ask your employees about their reasons for unexcused absences. Use anonymous surveys and an outside-the-company surveyor so that employees feel safe to honestly express their opinions, experiences, and suggestions.
- Use the survey as a diagnostic tool. Be open to hear the bad news that you need to know!
- Don’t stop there! You must show that you take the information seriously. Follow-through to real and meaningful action. Address the reasons for stress and burnout. Mismatches between the behaviors required for the job and the style of the person in the job? Communication breakdowns? Lack of effective management? Task distribution problems? Interdepartmental breakdowns? Create specific plans and implement them as soon as possible.
- Then, assess yourself. Follow-up with another survey in six months – to see if your actions have changed the work environment, and to find which changes have been successful.
We offer a range of tools and processes to help you reduce absenteeism and turnover. Call today at 404-814-0739.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
[...] absence control method. U.S. companies on average offered 9 work-life programs – down from 11 in 2006 – and 5 absence control programs – down from [...]