Category: Human Resources

5 Personal Habits to Stop Spreading Germs in the Work Place

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February 3rd, 2020

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Cold and flu season is notorious for causing frequent, prolonged absences in the workplace due to illness. Businesses attempt several methods to reduce this problem by implementing hand sanitizer stations, employing industrial-strength cleaners, and providing employees with resources on staying healthy. While these are all good things to do, employees can take additional steps on their own to ensure their continued good health.

  1. Stay home when ill. Many employees feel compelled to come to work even when they’re sick. They may be afraid of falling behind on a major project or overburdening their team by not contributing their part of the work. However, coming to work with an active infection or illness can spread the disease and cause widespread absences, which will only worsen workloads and deadline delays. The best thing employees can do once they contract the flu or other illnesses is to stay home until they’re no longer contagious.
  2. Limit sharing. Borrowing a pen or sharing a bag of chips may seem charitable, but it’s asking to spread germs. Coworkers don’t always show signs of sickness despite being infectious in the early stages of their illness. Limiting contact with coworkers during cold and flu season is a smart tactic to avoid germs.
  3. Keep hand sanitizer close. Employees accept forms, sign for packages, use communal office equipment, and perform several tasks that bring them into close contact with each other even if they avoid sharing personal items. Having hand sanitizer to use after touching office supplies and equipment can cut down on the spread of germs.
  4. Stop touching your face. People touch their faces constantly throughout the day without thinking about it. Rubbing their eyes, scratching at their nose, and covering their mouth while they yawn are instinctual actions, but they also spread germs. Employees that frequently touch their faces are giving germs easy access to invade their bodies and spread disease.
  5. Keep a tidy workspace. Wiping down surfaces, keyboards, and phones with disinfectant wipes can halt germs in their tracks. Being mindful of coffee cups and food containers are also critical as germs can linger on these surfaces and infect employees when they drink or eat. Thoroughly cleaning dishes and keeping food containers sealed can help prevent this.

Educating employees on personal habits to prevent illnesses is critical to reducing disease-related absences. If your workplace is struggling with absenteeism, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our absence management system.

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.

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.

5 Tips for Keeping Flu Out of the Workplace

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October 28th, 2019

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With fall well underway, employers should take steps to keep the flu and other illnesses as far from the office as possible. While it may be impossible to block it entirely, taking steps to contain germs can help prevent a staff-wide outbreak of diseases. When employees fall ill, it disrupts productivity and can tank workplace morale as projects fall behind and staff members continue to get sick. The following steps can help employers keep their workforce healthy during cold and flu season:

  1. According to the CDC, one of the simplest ways to prevent the spread of the flu is to encourage employees to receive the vaccine. Clinics and pharmacies often offer them free of charge or for a very small fee if employees can’t make it to their doctor’s office during normal business hours. Some employers even host vaccine clinics at their own office to make it as simple as possible for employees to receive flu vaccinations.
  2. Employers should look over their leave policy to ensure it encourages employees to stay home when ill. Employees who fear disciplinary action if they call out when ill are likely to come into work when they’re still contagious and infect other employees. Sick leave policies should make note that employees should wait until their fever is gone for a full 24 hours without the aid of medicine before returning to work.
  3. Employers should instruct sick employees to return home, including those who become symptomatic partway through the day. Keeping sick employees away from an otherwise healthy staff can prevent a workplace flu pandemic.
  4. Provide resources to allow staff to engage in preventative action. Keeping the office well stocked in tissues, trashcans, hand soap, and hand sanitizer can reduce the spread of germs. Providing handouts or flyers with reminders and tips on respiratory etiquette and good hygiene can help as well.
  5. Provide resources and education materials about employees who are at higher risk for severe health complications if they contract the flu. For example, pregnant women, individuals with asthma or other chronic lung conditions, diabetics, and so on can experience serious difficulties if they catch the flu. Employers should encourage vaccination, particularly for these high-risk individuals, as well as instructing them to seek early medical attention if they start to show signs of the flu.

Taking the above steps to keep the office free of germs and disease can help prevent or, at the very least, reduce the number of flu cases in the workplace. Keeping employees healthy is vital to maintaining good attendance and keeping productivity on track. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more ways to reduce employee absences.

Allergies or a Summer Cold? 5 Key Indicators to Know the Difference

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August 12th, 2019

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Many people associate the winter months with illnesses such as the common cold. However, people are just as easily susceptible to catching a cold in the summer months as well. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of a cold mimic those of allergies. It can be difficult to tell the two apart, and, once a sick employee comes to work, much of the damage is done. Identifying key differences between the common cold and allergies is the first step to keeping the workplace healthy.

Is it Allergies or a Cold?

The following are some of the major differences between a cold and allergies:

  1. Colds have additional symptoms. While allergy sufferers will experience sneezing, runny noses, sore throat, and congestion, individuals with a cold will also have coughing and feel generally run down.
  2. Allergies last longer. If the individual has been sneezing for weeks on end, allergies are likely the source of the problem. While allergy symptoms can be as misery-inducing as cold symptoms, allergies last much longer. Colds typically last 1-2 weeks at most.
  3. Cold symptoms fluctuate. Allergy symptoms are usually persistent and constant. Colds, however, can shift in intensity with certain symptoms being worse from day to day and even hour to hour.
  4. Cold symptoms appear in stages. For allergy sufferers, their symptoms hit all at once whereas individuals coming down with a cold experience symptoms one at a time. On day one of onset, they may wake up with a sore throat while day two may present a runny nose.
  5. Nasal discharge is not the same. Allergy sufferers tend to have clear, thin nasal discharge whereas individuals with a cold may notice yellowish to greenish mucus that is thick in consistency. This is due to an increase in white blood cells, indicating the body is fighting off an illness.

Preventing the spread of germs in the workplace is vital to keeping it operational and productive. Encouraging employees to wash their hands often and to stay home when sick can help cut down on illness in the workplace. Healthy employees are happier, more productive, and less prone to absenteeism. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how we can help your business reduce absences.

5 Methods to Keep Employees Engaged During the Summer

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July 15th, 2019

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With the arrival of warm summer weather and enticingly clear skies, employers may notice their staff’s attention wandering. With friends and families going on vacations all around them, it’s hard not to daydream, especially when they live vicariously through it on social media. Employers may notice employees calling out frequently on Fridays or Mondays to prolong their weekends or other disruptive absences.

The following are several ways that employers can encourage better engagement during the summer months before attendance becomes an issue:

  1. Allow for flexible schedules. Instead of dreading to see if employees call out on Friday, work with their desires. For example, allowing for summer schedules so employees can work longer hours Monday-Thursday in order to have Fridays off can be hugely appealing for many employees. Depending on the organization and industry, employers may be able to offer half-day Fridays through the summer months as a benefit.
  2. Encourage creativity. Dress down or casual Fridays are nothing new. However, employers can add a fun and creative twist to them by giving certain Fridays of every month a theme. For example, one month could be a tropical theme where employees dress in their favorite Hawaiian shirt. Employees could hold a vote on who has the best shirt for a chance to win a small prize such as a gift card. Letting employees express themselves through their clothing as well as offering them a chance to win a prize can be a powerful motivator.
  3. Hold outdoor meetings. Part of the appeal of calling in sick to work on a beautiful summer day is to enjoy the nice weather. If possible, try holding meetings outdoors so employees can take in some fresh air. Putting in picnic tables in a shaded spot can also allow employees to eat outdoors.
  4. Host a company picnic. Holding an annual event can be as simple as grilling out or as involved as ordering catering. Either way, companies should include games like corn hole or bat mitten as well as encourage employees to bring their families along, too.
  5. Set goals with rewards. Establishing tangible goals whether to increase marketing ROI, improving customer satisfaction, or even aiming for perfect attendance can go a long way toward improving engagement and productivity. This is especially true if there is a reward for achieving the goal. This can be as simple as a free lunch on the company’s dime or as large as an extra paid day of leave.

One last point worth noting, employers should encourage their employees to take vacations. While it may seem counterintuitive to actively suggest employees take off a week of work, it reenergizes and improves their overall wellbeing. Employees who go on annual vacations are much less likely to experience burnout and the associated attendance issues that follow.

If your workplace is struggling with absenteeism during the summer, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our absence management solutions.

6 Ways to Improve Productivity in the Workplace

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July 1st, 2019

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The workday is a finite amount of time and employers want their staff to use every minute of it effectively. Even the most dedicated employees may struggle with maximizing their productivity. Most people can’t accurately track the passage of time when they’re focusing on a task. It’s all too common for checking emails to go from a fifteen minute task to a 90 minute task without the employee realizing it. The following are several methods to improve productivity in the workplace:

  1. Time tracking. Several apps allow employees to track their time spent on various tasks. Getting a gauge on how long individual jobs take can allow employees to plan their days better and see where their time is going.
  2. Take breaks. While stopping work to take a break may seem illogical, studies have shown otherwise. Employees who brute force their way through tasks steadily decline in their performance while those who take breaks can maintain their work quality.
  3. Turn off notifications. Many workplace computers have built in notifications to let employees know when they have a new voicemail, email, or inter-office message. The allure of these pop-up messages is almost impossible to resist and can derail productivity. Instead, employees should build in time to listen, read, and respond to these messages.
  4. Stop multitasking. Many job candidates like to list multitasking as a skill, but studies have found it can be a productivity killer. Trying to do multiple tasks at once may seem like a great way to complete more work on a faster timeline. However, the opposite tends to be true—they take more time and tend to be lower quality.
  5. Adhere to the two-minute rule. It’s easy to overlook tasks that won’t take up that much time in favor of more pressing, time-consuming tasks. However, those little tasks add up and can become overwhelming when an employee looks at their to-do list. Knocking out jobs that take two minutes or less straight away can whittle down employees’ task lists and increase their drive to keep crossing things off their agenda.
  6. Spruce up workspaces. It may seem silly, but research has shown that employees work better in aesthetically pleasing environments. Hanging art or bringing in potted plants can improve the appearance of the office. Employers can encourage their staff to personalize their workspaces as well to improve their overall mood, which has a direct effect on their productivity.

Poor productivity can be indicative of larger issues at play. Absenteeism, tardiness, leaving work early, or taking long breaks can all effect productivity across the office. When an employee has consistent attendance issues that go unchecked, it can breed contempt among other staff members. They may emulate the behavior as well if there are no repercussions.

If you suspect you have a latent absenteeism problem lurking among your staff, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our innovative absence reporting program and how it can help reduce attendance challenges and improve productivity.