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Posted in Employers on Nov 30, 2010 by Richard Hayden
In the last few years Employers have become more aware of the disruption and damage that absence and sickness can cause in the workplace.
The office for National Statistics “estimated that the direct cost of absence to the UK economy in 2003 was £11.6 billion”
In addition to the financial impact sickness and absence can have there are hidden costs, such as low morale among staff who have to carry out additional work to cover for those who are absent because of sickness, the cost of managing absence and the impact on training and development, all of which impact on the overall levels of output for the organisation.
Managing absence and sickness can be a difficult subject for employers to approach, but it need not be. It is possible to manage your employees absence and sickness in a supportive, not accusatory manner.
The simplest way is to implement Trigger Points as part of your Operational Procedures. A Trigger Point is simply a point at which awareness is raised over an individual’s absence.
Once an employee’s absence record has been raised as unusual the line manager should then approach the individual. In the first instance in an informal manner to ascertain any underlying causes which could impact on the employee’s attendance.
As an employer you must be aware that the tone in which you address the situation will impact on not only the individual but their colleagues / team members as well. By approaching the situation openly and in the first instance on an informal level you can prevent any animosity or negative feedback filtering into your workforce through perceived accusations.
If the individuals absence record is raised again, and no underlying cause was found in the first instance then it is appropriate to escalate the situation to a formal meeting or to raise it as part of their annual appraisal.
In order to use Trigger Points you must keep accurate records of absence, either via your Payroll system or a simple spread sheet. In either instance these records should be kept securely and confidentially.
Trigger Points can be adjusted to suit your business and its specific needs, so long as they are communicated to the employees either in a policy handbook; or if you have recently introduced them, it is best to inform all employees individually (this avoids any confusion and allows employees to raise any concerns or questions they have regarding the changes).
Example trigger points are:
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The office for National Statistics “estimated that the direct cost of absence to the UK economy in 2003 was £11.6 billion”
The Hidden Costs of Absence...
In addition to the financial impact sickness and absence can have there are hidden costs, such as low morale among staff who have to carry out additional work to cover for those who are absent because of sickness, the cost of managing absence and the impact on training and development, all of which impact on the overall levels of output for the organisation.
How to Manage Employee Absence...
Managing absence and sickness can be a difficult subject for employers to approach, but it need not be. It is possible to manage your employees absence and sickness in a supportive, not accusatory manner.
The simplest way is to implement Trigger Points as part of your Operational Procedures. A Trigger Point is simply a point at which awareness is raised over an individual’s absence.
Once an employee’s absence record has been raised as unusual the line manager should then approach the individual. In the first instance in an informal manner to ascertain any underlying causes which could impact on the employee’s attendance.
As an employer you must be aware that the tone in which you address the situation will impact on not only the individual but their colleagues / team members as well. By approaching the situation openly and in the first instance on an informal level you can prevent any animosity or negative feedback filtering into your workforce through perceived accusations.
If the individuals absence record is raised again, and no underlying cause was found in the first instance then it is appropriate to escalate the situation to a formal meeting or to raise it as part of their annual appraisal.
In order to use Trigger Points you must keep accurate records of absence, either via your Payroll system or a simple spread sheet. In either instance these records should be kept securely and confidentially.
Trigger Points can be adjusted to suit your business and its specific needs, so long as they are communicated to the employees either in a policy handbook; or if you have recently introduced them, it is best to inform all employees individually (this avoids any confusion and allows employees to raise any concerns or questions they have regarding the changes).
Example trigger points are:
- Five or more absences in a six month period
- Ten or more absence in a twelve month period
- Pattern-related sickness-absence (e.g. a tendency to be off on Fridays or Mondays; sickness absence taken immediately before or after annual or public holidays)
At Key Appointments we want to supply you with relevant and useful information, if there are topics you would like more information on then please email us at info@key-appointments.co.uk
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