Category: Employee Absenteeism

Addressing Excessive Workday Breaks

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January 20th, 2020

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Employees need breaks to re-energize and remain engaged with their work. Slogging through the workday without pausing to eat and take a mental break can lead to burnout and hinder productivity. However, employees who take excessively long breaks create problems as well. When an employee leaves for lunch and returns well after they’re due back, they can hold up projects or spread the behavior to other staff members.

If an employer suspects or notices staff members stretching their lunch break, they can take the following steps to rectify it and prevent further instances of it in the future.

  1. Outline clear policies. Many company handbooks discuss major attendance issues like how to request sick leave, how the employer handles tardiness, and so on. However, taking excessive breaks doesn’t always make the cut. While employees should know they can’t extend their lunch hours, providing clear, direct rules can resolve any confusion.
  2. Keep records. Having proof of break abuse can assist in facilitating a productive conversation with the offending employee. Making accusations without evidence of any rule-breaking can cause employees to become defensive.
  3. Find out the cause of the behavior. It’s rare that an employee is slacking off for the fun of it. If employers notice employees suddenly taking longer breaks, they should look for the root cause. Problems such as bullying, feeling unchallenged, or issues at home can leave an employee feeling fatigued and disengaged with their work.
  4. Establish a strategy. After addressing the problem, employers need to develop a clear plan of action for the employee while offering support if necessary. Simply telling an employee to stop taking long breaks doesn’t address what’s causing the behavior in the first place.
  5. Avoid micromanaging breaks. It’s not worth raising a fuss over employees that are only a couple of minutes late from their lunch, particularly if it’s not a frequent occurrence. The best way to know if extended breaks are becoming a problem in the office is to keep track of them with an absence management system.

Taking long breaks can lead to additional unwanted attendance issues. Arriving late, leaving early, and long breaks can all culminate in a rampant absenteeism problem. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about our absence reporting solution.

How to Manage Employees Abusing Their Sick Leave

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January 6th, 2020

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There are several legitimate reasons an employee may call out of work. Illnesses, federally protected leave, and family emergencies can arise without notice. However, when employers begin to notice certain employees always seem to call out sick during the summer or holiday season, they may have an absenteeism problem on their hands.

The Effects of Absenteeism

Absenteeism rates vary depending on the industry, but the averages range from 2.1% to 4% of the workforce. While that may not seem very high at a glance, it can have far-reaching consequences. For businesses with 500 employees, this can mean as many as 20 employees are misusing their sick leave. This costs employers in several ways. Not only do they have to pay the employee for work they didn’t perform, but it also puts a strain on the remaining employees as they have to pick up the slack. This can result in missed deadlines, a loss of reputation, poor workplace morale, and a hit to profits.

Monitoring Sick Leave Abuse

The simplest way to prevent absenteeism is to be aware of it through an attendance system. Employers can keep an eye on potential sick leave abuse in the following ways:

* Recognize the signs and intervene early
* Find out why the employee is abusing their leave; there may be a larger problem at play causing the absences such as office bullying or a scheduling conflict
* Learn to say no to unrealistic requests for leave
* Ensure employees are aware of sick leave policies as well as the resulting disciplinary action for abusing sick leave

Of course, another element of monitoring sick leave is encouraging employees to use it correctly as well. Employees who come to work despite their illness can spread contagion and cause widespread absences.

Balancing legitimate sick leave requests while preventing absenteeism can be a challenge for employers. This is why having an absence management system is vital. Such systems can track absences, identify attendance trends, and more. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how we can help your business eliminate absenteeism.

5 Hallmarks of a Fair and Effective Attendance Policy

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December 16th, 2019

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In a perfect world, employees would arrive on time, work diligently, and leave on schedule. However, a plethora of events can affect attendance—unexpected traffic, surprise illnesses, or sick children can wreak havoc on employee attendance. The worst-case scenario is rampant absenteeism with employees abusing their paid leave or shirking their attendance by arriving tardy, ducking out early, or taking excessive breaks.

Of course, the solution is to enact an attendance policy with clear guidelines, but several elements go into making an attendance policy palatable to everyone while eliminating absenteeism:

  1. Consider the company culture. If a manager is reworking or developing an attendance policy for the first time, it’s likely in response to ongoing problems with attendance. Not having a policy in place can make people lax about arriving on time or remembering to call in promptly for illnesses. There may be cultural factors at play affecting this behavior as well. For example, if most of the employees have young children, they have bus and school schedules to consider before leaving for work. Incorporating flextime may help resolve the issue or give employees options to ensure they arrive on time.
  2. Provide straightforward definitions. Employers should provide clear definitions for attendance infractions. For example, there should be separate categories for no-shows, absences, unscheduled absences, and sick days. The disciplinary procedures should align with the type of absence as taking a planned day off work has very different effects than an employee who didn’t show up at all without notification.
  3. Discipline that suits the scenario. Employers should look at the overall effect each type of attendance scenario enacts on their business. For example, someone running five minutes late does not have as large of a ripple as someone who arrives an hour late. The same is true of someone scheduling an absence to take care of preventative healthcare such as getting the flu shot and an employee who calls an hour after they were due into work to say he or she isn’t coming. A three-strike policy for each scenario up a progressive discipline chain can allow managers to keep track of trends as well as give employees enough leeway to keep the policy fair.
  4. Get employee input and signatures. Even if a policy is fair, no employee is going to take kindly to having new rules dropped on them without notice. Consulting with employees to gain their perspective can offer insights employers hadn’t considered. Once everyone reaches a consensus, having employees sign the policy can help keep them accountable.
  5. Follow the golden rule. Treating others how you want to be treated isn’t a new concept, but employers can lose sight of it while juggling the many demands of running a company. The easiest benchmark is to make sure the employer can comply with the policy without bending over backward to do so. If the employer isn’t willing or able to meet the rules of the policy, then it’s too strict for employees as well.

If your business is struggling with attendance issues, Actec can help. Contact us to learn how our absence management system can help your company.

How to Boost Employee Morale During Winter Months

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December 9th, 2019

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Shorter days with less sunlight can take their toll on employees. Freezing temperatures and winter weather can also make employees less than thrilled to get out of bed and make the frigid trek to the office. With low spirits, employers may start to notice an uptick in employees calling out of work. While legitimate causes for an absence here or there can crop up, employers should always be on the lookout for signs of absenteeism.

Boosting morale with the following tips can help keep the winter blues and absenteeism at bay:

  1. Make the office warm and inviting. Maniacal control of the thermostat may contribute to employee discomfort. No one wants to go to an office that is freezing when the weather is already cold. Small touches like offering hot beverage options such as cocoa or cider can make the office a more pleasant place to be for employees.
  2. Put employee health first. Shorter days mean less sunlight, which can trigger depressive effects in some individuals. Keeping breakroom baskets filled with vitamin-C heavy fruits and Vitamin D supplements can help keep this problem at bay.
  3. Offer work-from-home-Fridays. With wintry weather and chilly winds, giving employees some flexibility during the winter can go a long way toward improving their mood. While not every job is suitable for telecommuting, employers could also consider shutting down the office for a week or two during the holidays to allow employees to maximize their family time without using their leave.
  4. Hold office parties during work hours. Employees don’t typically enjoy mandatory fun if it encroaches on their free time. However, hosting parties with free food and beverages during typical work hours is a big morale boost. When employees relax and socialize, it can reinvigorate their drive.
  5. Host office workouts. Cold weather has a way of sapping motivation, causing many people to slack off in the exercise department. Working out together can strengthen employee bonds and improve the overall mood in the office. In addition to releasing endorphins, exercise helps boost the immune system. This can help keep employees healthy during the cold and flu season.

Finding ways to keep employees happy and productive during the gloomy winter months can help prevent absenteeism. If your employees are calling out more often than usual, you may have an attendance problem. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how our absence reporting program can help your business.

4 Hidden Sources of Germs Making Employees Sick

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November 25th, 2019

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With cold and flu season well underway, many employers are keeping a wary eye out for the telltale sniffles and sneezing that precede an office-wide breakout of illnesses. While workplaces can take several steps to reduce the likelihood of spreading germs, germs linger in several sneaky places. Without addressing these areas, employees can begin to fall ill and not understand why. The following are some of the biggest sources of germs that hide in plain sight:

  1. Kitchen faucets. Everyone knows that office bathrooms are breeding grounds for disease as multiple people touch the door handles, faucet knobs, and towel dispensers. As a result, employees take more precautions in this high-traffic area. However, they rarely give the same attention to kitchen faucets. If the office has a breakroom or a kitchen area with a sink, it can be a breeding ground for germs.
  2. Cellphones. People use their phones more than ever and it’s become a Petri dish employees carry with them everywhere they go. Hands and mouths are the most common human sources of germs and both interact with phones on a regular basis. If employees pass around phones to share ideas or socialize during lunch, they could be spreading illness without realizing it.
  3. Gym equipment. Many workplaces offer access to onsite gyms or gym memberships to their employees as part of a wellness program. While exercise improves the immune system, gyms house a lot of germs that aren’t often correctly dealt with in a timely manner. While gym-goers should wipe down equipment before and after use as a standard of etiquette, a wet towel isn’t enough to disinfect it.
  4. Money. Employees go out for lunch or have meetings with clients over coffee all the time. During these interactions, they’re going to exchange cash, coins, or cards with the wait staff. Even if the restaurant requires employees to wash hands, there is no accounting for where money has been or whose hands it passed through.

Identifying the hidden sources of germs allows employees to take steps to prevent falling ill or spreading disease throughout the workplace. Frequent hand washing, keeping hand sanitizer close by, and avoiding touching the mouth, nose, or face can all help reduce an office-wide flu pandemic. If your workplace is struggling with illness and frequent absences, the experts at Actec can help. Contact us to learn about how our absence management system can reduce absenteeism and improve other elements of employee attendance.

8 Subtle Signs of Bullying in the Workplace

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November 11th, 2019

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Absenteeism is a significant cause for concern among employers in all industries. If employees call out of work abruptly on a regular basis, it can cause considerable disruption to productivity and morale as well as hurt businesses’ bottom line. However, there are often underlying causes for absenteeism and one of the most common is bullying.

While bullying on the schoolyard is often easy to identify, adults don’t resort to pushing, name-calling, and other child-like methods of pushing people around. In the workplace, bullying looks quite different and employers need to keep an eye out for it if they suspect employee mistreatment is triggering unplanned absence.

The following are some behaviors and patterns that may indicate a company has an office bully:

  1. Intimidation. It’s management’s job to keep employees on task and on schedule, but there is a difference between encouragement and using overt or veiled threats to accomplish the job.
  2. Ignoring. This can manifest as failing to greet certain individuals while interacting with everyone around them or as purposefully “forgetting” to invite them to relevant meetings.
  3. Undermining work. This often occurs when management or a fellow employee prevent another individual from progressing on a project or impeding his or her ability to succeed. This can also manifest as giving away promised projects to other team members.
  4. Taking away responsibilities. When employees are overwhelmed with too much work, it’s not uncommon to redistribute some of their less important tasks. However, forcibly removing primary work from an employee without cause is often a form of bullying.
  5. Impossible or shifting deadlines. This is the reverse of the above. Oppressive managers or supervisors set the employee up to fail by assigning too many tasks on an unreasonable timetable or change priorities without notice.
  6. Extreme criticism. Impossible to please team leaders, supervisors, or managers are often workplace bullies. They fail to recognize a job well done in favor of pointing out flaws, real or perceived.
  7. Taking credit. This is usually seen in superiors that take complete credit for their subordinates’ ideas or work without offering any recognition.
  8. Over the top flattery. While this may seem pleasant at first, it’s often a tactic to soften employees to manipulation. A boss who is always crowing an individual’s praises may be preparing to ask for excessive and unreasonable requests of that employee.

Bullying behavior is rarely overt so employers need to be vigilant and implement policies to allow for confidential reporting as well as establish clear guidelines for conduct in the workplace. If you’re concerned about absenteeism, implementing an absence reporting program can help identify trends. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how we can reduce absenteeism in your workplace.

Is Cold and Flu Season Really to Blame for Absenteeism?

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October 14th, 2019

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With the start of the fall season, many workforces are likely readying for the impending illnesses. Once one employee falls ill, it can feel like a domino effect for the remaining staff following suit as well. However, while illnesses are legitimate reasons for an unscheduled absence, employers need to make sure there aren’t other factors at play affecting employee attendance.

Underlying Causes of Absenteeism

The following are some of the most common root causes of absenteeism.

Bullying

Adults are no less impervious to bullying than children in school. Not only that, but they’re just as likely to utilize the same solution—duck out to avoid the bully. Absenteeism can be a symptom of a much larger problem than intermittent attendance. Employers should encourage employees so they feel comfortable reporting harassment. In addition, keeping an open-door policy can help as shutting management away in an office can keep problems hidden until they boil over as unscheduled absences.

Poor Morale in the Workplace

No employee will want to come into work if the atmosphere is tense, combative, or dismissive. Employees that feel disrespected or like their employer doesn’t allow them to make decisions will rapidly decrease in productivity. Their drive and desire to come to work on time (if at all) will tank as well. Employers need to establish healthy work environments and create a company culture that allows employees to thrive. Recognizing performance, hosting workplace fun days or events, and so on can help boost morale.

Poor Flexibility

Employees have obligations at home that can make their work schedule seem insurmountable. Whether they are caring for an aging relative, an injured family member, or trying to get their children to school on time, employees can feel the strain of a traditional nine to five schedule. Offering flexible scheduling so employees can set their hours to better align with their lives can eliminate the need to call out to take care of responsibilities on the home front.

Stealing Minutes

While absenteeism usually means an unscheduled absence, it also encompasses employees arriving late, leaving early, or taking excessively long breaks. This time adds up and can affect other employees as well. Having a robust absence management system in place can give HR the tools they need to track these scheduling infractions to identify trends and rectify the problem swiftly.

If your workplace is struggling with absenteeism or other attendance problems, the experts at Actec can help. Contact us to learn how our absence reporting program can help your business.

6 Tips to Avoid Post-Summer Blues and Absenteeism

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September 23rd, 2019

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As summer fades into fall, employers may notice their employees struggling to engage with their tasks. Returning from a summer vacation can be difficult and lead to poor productivity, detachment, and even culminate in absenteeism. Thankfully, there are several ways employees can prevent post-vacation blues in order to thrive in the workplace.

  1. Incorporate a transition day. Employees who return from vacation one day and resume work the next are likely to experience stress and resentment toward their job. Not only do they have to return to the office, but they also have to catch up on laundry, grocery shopping, and potentially recover from jetlag. Incorporating at least one transition day for these tasks can make returning to work a little easier.
  2. Plan vacation ahead of an exciting project. While almost everyone would choose lounging at the beach over spending time in an office, planning vacations prior to beginning an exciting assignment can make heading back to the office more appealing. Plus, vacations can allow employees to recharge and reenergize to give their work more focus.
  3. Schedule a mid-week return. This isn’t always possible, but returning mid-week allows employees to ease back into their schedule so they don’t feel overwhelmed. Knowing that the weekend is just a couple of days away can facilitate a gentler re-entry to regular work hours.
  4. Pace workloads upon returning. Diving straight back in at full throttle is a sure way to burnout or begin resenting the office. Starting with less complex projects allows employees to incorporate an adjustment period to build back up to their usual pace.
  5. Build in easy wins. Employees can feel defeated if they return to work and struggle to get out from under a mountain of tasks that built up while they were away. Planning some high-priority but easy to accomplish tasks upon returning to the office allows employees to generate momentum and helps them find their stride again.
  6. Have the right attitude. Employees that view vacations as a recovery from their job rather than an opportunity to recharge will likely struggle to reintegrate into the workplace. This kind of attitude makes employees resistant to returning to work.

Employers noticing their staff members struggling with the end of summer blues should take steps to ensure a positive company culture. When employees know their employer cares about their wellbeing, it improves their productivity, engagement, and attendance. Contact the experts are Actec to learn how we can help your business tackle absenteeism and other attendance challenges.

How to Address Attendance During Back to School Season

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September 9th, 2019

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As summer comes to a close, students will be heading back to school. This means more vehicles on the roads as teenagers drive themselves and buses pick up younger students. Not only that, but employees may transport their children to school themselves. This increase in traffic and personal responsibilities may cause problems at work as previously punctual employees begin trickling in well after they were due to arrive.

Develop a Preparedness Plan

Back to school season is an easily trackable event and it doesn’t have to present challenges if employers know how to manage it effectively. Sending out reminders to employees can keep it on their radar and recommending making adjustments to when they depart for the office can reduce tardiness. Employers should also allow for leniency the first week back to school as employees make adjustments to their schedules.

Accommodating Employees with Children

While employers don’t have to accept tardiness as the status quo, they can make changes to make it easier for parents that drive their children to school. Instituting flexible schedules can allow these employees to shift their work hours to allow for this change in their routine. Not only does this improve the employee’s morale, but it also improves their loyalty to the company, as they know their employer cares about their work-life balance.

When to Intervene

Employers may notice attendance problems at the start of the back to school season, but tardiness can be a sign of a larger problem. Employees who habitually arrive late despite adequate forewarning and fair accommodations may be abusing their employer’s trust. Implementing an absence management system can allow employers to track late arrivals, early departures, and unexcused absences.

This allows managers to identify attendance trends and pinpoint potential absenteeism before it becomes a chronic, widespread problem. Actec understands the challenges involved in managing attendance. Our customizable absence management solutions can help you stay on top of attendance and improve productivity. To learn more about implementing an absence management system, contact the experts at Actec.

Reducing the Likelihood of Employee Fraud

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August 6th, 2019

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shutterstock_174875483Despite proper planning and safeguards, workplace accidents can happen. Injured employees often file worker’s compensation claims to help them pay for medical expenses and lost wages while they recuperate. However, some unscrupulous employees abuse the system and it costs everyone money. Fraudulent claims increase insurance premiums for employers, the workload for the remaining employees, the time required to complete projects or provide services, and manufacturing costs due to production delays.

Minimize the Prevalence of Fraud

One-hundred percent prevention isn’t always possible. However, employers can take several steps to reduce instances of fraud. These include:

  1. Full screening before hiring. Employers should only consider complete job applications. Missing information can indicate laziness or a history to hide. Employers should also follow up on job references as well as ask their contacts if they know anything about the applicant’s job history. Taking these steps prior to providing a job offer can save employers a lot of time, money, and hassle.
  2. Creating and enforcing safety programs. Employers should hold onboard training as well as continued safety-training exercises throughout the year. Improving safety will reduce accidents and injuries. If employees aren’t getting hurt, they won’t file worker’s compensation claims—fraudulent or otherwise.
  3. Establishing a return-to-work plan. After an employee files a claim for a work-related injury, employers need to follow up on a regular basis. An employer who stays up to date with the employee’s recovery can establish realistic expectations and make the necessary modifications for the individual to return to work.
  4. Not tolerating fraud. Businesses can work with their insurance company to develop methods that best prevent, identify, and rectify incidents of fraud.

Companies can also invest in an absence management system that can flag questionable absences to help employers manage employee attendance. If your company is struggling with employee absenteeism, abuse of paid leave, or fraudulent worker’s compensation claims, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our absence reporting system.