MANAGING ABSENTEEISM AND RETENTION

MANAGING ABSENTEEISM AND RETENTION

Absenteeism, as it is generally defined to today, includes absences because of illness, injury and personal reasons, all of which, though involuntary, are preventable to some degree or other, plus absences for which there is no logical reason--so-called voluntary absences.

Causes of Absenteeism

Stress is now the biggest cause of sickness and absenteeism in the UK, costing the economy billions of pounds a year. Today's world is 24/7, with cities that never sleep, mobiles and pocket PCs, and pressure to multitask. Changes in management and in places of work can be frequent, with downsizing and restructuring almost the norm. Manufacturing has been particularly exposed to these unsettling external pressures which can leave workers feeling powerless. Any occupation can be stressful. The factors that cause an individual to feel stressed often stem from inside and outside the workplace. It also has a lot to with an individual's personality and how well they are able to cope with certain pressures. (ACAS, 2009)

Although negative attitudes to work are a common cause of absenteeism, many employers mistakenly believe that these attitudes are the entire employee's fault. Sometimes employers don't do enough to emphasize the importance of regular attendance. "If you accept absenteeism, you can expect absenteeism," says the Guide. In addition, attitudes to work are affected by the kind of work people do and by their working conditions. Employees who like their jobs do not take time off without good reason (Glass, 1995, 380-411).

A program which taught workers how to use specific stretches and movements to relieve muscle pain and fatigue resulted in significant reductions in workers' compensation claims at a manufacturing company (Van der Merwe, 1988).

Regardless of the reason, absenteeism from work is considered to represent an enormous cost for organisations and is cited as being indicative of deeply rooted organisational problems which are symptomatic of organisational ill health. Such problems and ill health are likely to adversely affect the ability of the organisation to cope effectively with the challenges presented by its environment. Given the pressure being placed upon local government organisations to deliver services of higher quality, it would seem fair to argue that they will be better placed to do this if they are in a healthy state. This is likely to lead to a number of positive effects such as low levels of absence, and higher levels of employee commitment and satisfaction. (ACAS, 2009)

Solutions for Absenteeism

A comprehensive approach to attendance management, one which addresses both employee-related and job-related causes of absenteeism, can yield substantial savings, says the Guide. Employee absence can result in loss of output or service, disruption of the work of other employees and other intangible costs. While costs vary from one organization to another, they can easily amount to 11/2 to twice the level of the employee's wage for each day absent.

Selection of new employees is the most important step for organizations. The quality level of the new employees will determine the competitiveness of the organization in the marketplace from a ...