5 Absenteeism Causes Lurking in Your Office

Posted on

March 25th, 2019

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Employee absenteeism comes with a hefty cost. Employers lose money on the employees who aren’t working, the employees who have to stay late to pick up the slack, and on costs related to HR managing unplanned absences. However, while it’s easy to assume absenteeism stems from laziness, this is not typically the case. There are several underlying reasons that can contribute to attendance issues.

  1. Illnesses and injuries. This type of absence is unavoidable. If an employee is contagious or suffering from a debilitating injury, they can’t and shouldn’t come to work until they are fully recovered. Otherwise, they run the risk of infecting other office members or relapsing. Having a solid absence reporting system in place can help mitigate the effects of these types of absences as HR and employers can be aware of the issue as soon as possible and develop a plan to deal with it.
  2. Low morale. If conflict is a constant norm in the office, employees aren’t going to want to show up for work. Existing in an environment fraught with tension is less than ideal and ultimately results in attendance problems and low productivity. High-stress work environments can also cause low morale and disengagement. Management can mitigate some of this by offering positive feedback and rewarding exceptional work.
  3. Burnout. Some employees work themselves non-stop in their zeal to commit to their work. However, coming in early and staying late without a break will eventually result in burnout. Sometimes, employees do it to themselves because of their personalities. Other times, employees overwork themselves because they believe it’s what their managers expect. Setting realistic expectations for working hours can help prevent this issue.
  4. Not enough flexibility. A traditional nine to five schedule doesn’t work for everyone. Employees who attend college or have to get children to and from school may need to shift their work hours to the left or the right to ensure the best work-life balance. When employers force rigid schedules, it can breed resentment and result in attendance problems such as ducking out early.
  5. Time theft. Continuing with the above, not all forms of attendance issues manifest as missing an entire day’s worth of work. Tardiness to work or meetings, leaving early, or taking long breaks all add up to lost productivity.

Implementing an absence reporting solution can help give HR employees the tools to identify, track, and manage attendance issues. If your company is struggling with absenteeism or attendance problems, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about managing absenteeism.