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Employee absenteeism can be a significant problem for any workplace, especially when there\u2019s a team dynamic and each person relies on others. The Department of Labor defines absenteeism<\/a> in the workforce as people who are not at work.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n When absenteeism becomes a problem is when it\u2019s not planned and repetitive, this can lead to unexpected expenses and interruption in business.<\/p>\n Key Takeaways<\/b><\/p>\n Any absence from work is considered absenteeism, but some of them are expected and planned for, and they don\u2019t cause problems for employers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The causes of problematic absenteeism are many and can range from situations that are within the employee\u2019s control to things that are out of their control.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n No matter what the reason, problematic absenteeism is an expense for the company and, many times, for the rest of the workforce.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n There are some tips and ways you can improve absenteeism and reap exponential rewards in terms of employee engagement.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n There are numerous causes of absenteeism in the workplace; some can\u2019t be helped, just like illness or childcare issues. Other problematic absenteeism cases aren\u2019t as understandable or excusable. Some common absenteeism causes are:<\/p>\n Workplace harassment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Burnout<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Disengagement<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Child and elderly care issues<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Depression<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Illness<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Injuries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Job hunting<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Inability to arrive on-time<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n There are obviously other reasons, and some are well-intentioned or unavoidable, while others can become habitual and disruptive.<\/p>\n According to a report by Circadian<\/a>, a hiring company, it\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n Wages paid to absent workers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n High cost of having workers fill in for missing people<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Administrative costs of managing absenteeism<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n While those costs seem obvious and they\u2019re easy to track, there can be an even greater expense involved, and these results are often harder to pinpoint. They include:<\/p>\n Bad quality product<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reduced productivity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Brand reputation is harmed by bad product\/service<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Physical and emotional stresses on others<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Safety concerns due to overworked and undertrained staff<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Poor morale<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Management having to make do<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Not every company has the ability to offer employees flex schedules<\/a> and remote working, but the Covid-19 pandemic certainly put a spotlight on jobs that can be done from home rather effortlessly.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Being more understanding about sick days and encouraging your staff to take days off when they\u2019re ill is a big plus. Some people who are against this say you\u2019re encouraging absenteeism, which perhaps once in a while you\u2019ll get someone who is playing hooky and doesn\u2019t want to show up.<\/p>\n More than likely, they actually needed a mental health day<\/a>, and this paid sick time off gives them a chance to mentally and emotionally reboot.<\/p>\n If you have an employee who doesn\u2019t like their job, it could be because they aren\u2019t the right hire. Whether they want to move up, or their job is too difficult, and they need to move down, or they\u2019re simply not right for the company. A bad hire leads to an absentee problem, and they can bring everyone else down too.<\/p>\n Another issue that leads to poor morale, unhappy employees, and absenteeism is bad management. When you\u2019re trying to determine why your employees would rather not be at work, the management needs to come under scrutiny, as do the working conditions.<\/p>\n Obviously, not all absenteeism can be blamed on the workplace environment<\/a> and management, but there are definitely times when this is the issue.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s business world. Of course, a printed certificate won\u2019t have the value it once did, but there are other incentives that you can use.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t know how many days off they\u2019re allowed each year, and they don\u2019t know if they get to roll them over or if they\u2019re in a use it or lose it situation.<\/p>\n If your employees know that they\u2019ll be given first preference for jobs that open up within the company, they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n It might also prompt investment in education, skills, and job opportunities for employees who are interested in moving up.<\/p>\n 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\u2019re called leavism and presenteeism, which describe people who have checked out in some way. With presenteeism, they\u2019re there but doing other things. Leavism is when an employee shows up but is late, leaves early, takes a long lunch, etc.<\/p>\n These are similar to absenteeism but more often have a morale element tied to them, especially if they\u2019re habitual. Catching this \u201cnot at work\u201d behavior is more difficult, but the good news is that the tips for curing absenteeism also work here.<\/p>\n How does absenteeism affect workplace performance?<\/b><\/p>\n The specific results of absenteeism on performance depend on the position of the employee and the business.<\/b> 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\u2019s morale<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Can boosting morale improve absenteeism?<\/b><\/p>\n\n
Causes of Problematic Absenteeism<\/h2>\n
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Cost of Absenteeism<\/h2>\n
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How to Deal with Absenteeism in Your Workplace<\/h2>\n
Flex Schedules and Remote Work<\/h3>\n
Mandatory Paid Sick Leave<\/h3>\n
Make Better Hiring Decisions<\/h3>\n
Take a Closer Look at Working Conditions and Management<\/h3>\n
Attendance Policies and Incentives<\/h3>\n
Promote from Within<\/h3>\n
It’s Not Just Absenteeism<\/h2>\n
Absenteeism in the Workplace FAQ<\/h2>\n
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