Absence Management Silo Strategies May Create Inefficiencies

Posted on

April 12th, 2016

A current trend in absence and compensation management is to create work silos. When companies separate workers compensation and disability leave programs, it can create efficient teams within your human resource department. However, not unifying your absence management strategies may create inefficiencies that can lead to a loss in revenue.
Separate May Not Be Equal
When you separate benefit programs there can be unifying data your company is missing. This data can help organizations understand what drives employees to take leave or unplanned absences. Unifying all absence and compensation programs within an organization can reduce overall cost, increase productivity and help determine the way employees use their company benefits.
A Strategy to Bind Them All
When you unite benefit programs as opposed to siloing them, your company can track important information, including:

Lost time data
Claim tracking
Unaccounted for absences
Overpayment of benefits
Overpayment of salaries

You can also determine important information, like if your current benefits program makes employee choose between filing a worker’s compensation claim or filing for non-occupational disability benefits when they suffer a work-related injury.
If your organization is looking for ways to increase company productivity and reduce costs, you need to evaluate your absence management and absence reporting strategies. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how they can help you with accurate leave tracking and absence reporting solutions.

Is Your Absence Management Policy Flexible?

Posted on

March 29th, 2016

Andrew

shutterstock_306793247 - Copy Absences count for as much as 35% of a company’s payroll. This makes absence management an important part of reducing costs for an organization. Using strategies that include workplace flexibility as part of a company’s absence management policy can help decrease absences while increasing employee engagement.
What is Workplace Flexibility?
Workplace flexibility is a term used to create manageable accommodations for employees to help them complete necessary tasks. These accommodations can be temporary or permanent and can include a flexibility in location or hours.
Workplace Location Flexibility
Accommodations for workplace flexibility can include:

Working from a satellite office
Partial or complete telecommuting
Some combination of the above accommodations with part-time work at the facility

Work Hours Flexibility
Accommodations for work hours can include:

Job sharing
Part-time work
Flex time
Non-standard shifts
Compressed work weeks

Benefits of Workplace Flexibility
There are many benefits to workplace flexibility. People who are injured or recovering from an illness can return to work sooner if your company is able to offer telecommuting options or flexible hours. People who are older or disabled may be able to complete tasks successfully if they work part-time or share their position with another employee. Employees with families may be able to telecommute when staying home with a sick child instead of having to call in sick and miss time.
The benefits of instituting workplace flexibility also extend toward improving absence management and increasing the company’s profitability. If your company is looking for alternative ways to decrease absenteeism, contact the experts at Actec.

Manage Absenteeism with Wellness Programs

Posted on

March 17th, 2016

Andrew

shutterstock_229854826 1920x750 There is a new trend in employee management that has resulted in a significant impact on absenteeism and performance. Companies who sponsor fitness and wellness programs find that their employees are happier, more productive and less likely to call out sick.
An Increase in Wellness Programs
A recent study found that 70% of US businesses offered wellness programs, up 20% from 2008. This increase is due to the benefits of fitness programs across the board. Productivity is up, absenteeism is down and employee retention is improved.
Benefits of Wellness Programs
The increase in revenue has occurred despite the low ROI employers receive from creating and maintaining these programs. In fact, many companies have a goal separate from ROI when they decide to sponsor a wellness program for their employees. The four main reasons behind sponsored fitness and wellness programs include:

Improve teamwork/morale
Reduce Absenteeism
Health and Well-being of Staff
Improve Work Productivity

How Wellness Programs Improve Production
How is it that improving the health of employees has such a positive impact on production? In addition to improving overall health and wellbeing, diet and exercise improves cognitive performance in five main areas:

Mental stamina
Memory
Concentration
Creativity
Learning

Employees who are able to focus on their work, retain facts and have improved creativity are able to get more work done in shorter periods of time. They are also able learn new skills faster and apply those new skills better than people who are not physically and mentally fit.
Reduced Absenteeism
Physical activity release endorphins, which means employees who exercise are in a better mood and less likely to become ill. They are also less prone to stress and dissatisfaction at work, reducing the need or desire to call in sick to work.
Absentee management strategies include absence prevention as well as creating workflows for reporting absences. The benefit of creating an employer sponsored wellness program reaches beyond reducing absences to all facets of the organization. To learn more tips on absence management, contact the experts at Actec.

Absence Management Versus Staff Engagement

Posted on

February 12th, 2016

Andrew

shutterstock_136833263 - Copy (5) As the workplace culture evolves to increase flexibility and engagement, companies consider how to handle attendance policies. Are absence management policies still appropriate or should companies trust employees to manage their time?
Distrust Leads to Disengagement
If management distrusts staff and creates strict attendance policies, the company may see an increase in absences. Employees can tell when managers don’t trust them and this can cause staff disengagement. Disengagement can lead to a decrease in effectiveness and an increase in absences as people find convenient excuses not to go to work, like a great football game on television.
Trust Increases Productivity
Statistics prove that just as a lack of trust decreases productivity, management faith in its staff increases production and engagement. People manage their own time and DVR that football game so that they can put more effort in their work.
Is There a Middle Ground?
So if trusting employees improves engagement and decreases absenteeism why is an attendance policy necessary? Unfortunately, not everyone deserves trust. There are employees who will be habitually late or absent, so the company needs to create policies to manage this minority.
In search of a middle ground, some companies have created attendance guidelines that management enforces when necessary. This allows the majority of workers to manage their time on their own while management offers support as needed. When someone abuses this system of trust, management has formal procedures in place to reprimand the transgressor.
Absence management policies don’t need to be strict or enforced with an iron fist. A guiding hand may prove affective for most employees and you will create a positive work environment that encourages employee engagement.
If you are looking for more information regarding absence reporting or employee management, contact the experts at Actec today.

Don’t Be Tardy with Your Absence Management Strategies

Posted on

January 12th, 2016

Andrew

shutterstock_250505056 - Copy Employees who are chronically tardy are the bane of many managers. Showing up ten or fifteen minutes late may not seem like an issue to some workers, however, from a management standpoint, it can be a serious problem. This is why part of a company’s absence management strategies has to include tardiness policies.
Create a Point System
Creating an occurrence policy should include people who arrive late, leave early or miss an entire day. For example, employees would receive half an occurrence if they are more than ten minutes late. This will help workers understand that the company believes punctuality is essential for continued employment.
Create a Workshop
Another strategy would be to have Human Resources conduct a workshop to help employees understand the importance of arriving to work on time. To make the workshop successful, it is important to stress the benefit to the employees and not just the company.
Put it in Writing
Create a section in the employee handbook that explains the company attendance policy and how tardiness will be handled by management. This will help if you need to reprimand or let go of employees who are chronically tardy to work.
Tardy employees effect department morale, production and management effectiveness. Including tardiness policies when you create an absence management strategy will create a better and more productive workforce.
If you are looking for more tips for improving absence reporting or employee management, contact the experts at Actec today

Absence Reporting: Year in Review

Posted on

December 28th, 2015

Andrew

Understanding human resource management is an important part of controlling absenteeism within an organization. The office environment, stress, and unfair absence policies have just as much of an impact on employees calling out sick as illness does.
Absence management is a complex process and one that evolves over time. Companies need to look at all the factors that influence absenteeism and work to create a positive and engaging work environment. Businesses also need to review their absence policies to determine if they fit current organizational needs.
As 2015 draws to a close, your company may decide it is a good time to review company policies, including absence management. Here are five of our
popular posts related to absence strategies, policies and management: shutterstock_174966584 sm

Absentee management is an important part of controlling costs and increasing revenue. Outsourcing absence management can help your company create an efficient and cost effective solution. Actec specializes in absence reporting, 24/7 claims reporting and first notice of loss. Contact us today to find out how we can help.

Make 2016 the Year You Get Absenteeism under Control

Posted on

November 30th, 2015

Andrew

December is the time when organizations create a plan for success in the New Year. As your company determines its business New Year’s Resolutions, you will want to put absence management high on the list. Absenteeism increases costs and decreases efficiency. Instituting an absence management solution now will help you increase productivity in 2016.
Absence Management
Efficient absence management includes:

Having one number for employees to call to report an absence
Understanding the number of absences by employee
Ensuring compliance of all state and federal laws
Having a consistence leave policy for all employees
Aligning absence management with production needs

When a company is able to create and maintain an effective absence management policy, your organization will be able to:

Reduce the number of absences
Reduce the amount of time spent on absence reporting
Determine seasonal staffing needs
Increase productivity
Increase retention

One way to improve absence management is to create an absence-reporting program that ensures management and human resources have up to date information. The experts at Actec can help you find a solution that will make 2016 the year you get absenteeism under control. Contact us today.

Reduce Employee Absenteeism by Increasing Understanding

Posted on

November 10th, 2015

Andrew

absence management video image border Do your employees understand your company attendance policy? You might be surprised to find out many employees don’t know much about company policies beyond how much PTO time they have accrued. Helping your staff understand your company’s absentee management policies will reduce employee confusion and absenteeism.
What’s An Unexcused Absence?
Does your company differentiate between excused and unexcused absences? Most organizations do and try to discourage unexcused absences because of their effect on production. However, many employees don’t understand the difference, especially if they use PTO time to cover both.
Make sure workers understand that if they don’t obtain advanced approval from a manager regarding time off it is considered an unexcused absence. And if your organization terminates employees for accruing too many unexcused absences, make sure they understand this policy as well. If they think they are okay as long as they have PTO time then an employee may not comprehend why they are receiving warnings from HR.
Partial Absence Policies
Another common area of confusion between employees and management is concerning partial absences. Employees often figure as long as they show up for their shift they are in the clear. They may not realize the impact that coming in late or leaving early has on a company.
As with unexcused absences, most companies have policies regarding partial absences. Managers need to make sure that employees understand leaving at noon for a doctor’s appointment and not returning for the rest of the day is a partial absence and may result in disciplinary action if it happens too often.
Many HR and employment issues stem from an unclear absentee management policy. Companies should make sure all employees have a thorough understanding of attendance policies when they are hired. Management should also periodically review attendance policies with their teams to make sure there are no misconceptions. For more information on how you can get absence management under control, click here.

Creating an Absence Policy That is Fair and Effective

Posted on

October 27th, 2015

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy In order to be able to track absenteeism in your organization, you need to have a defined absence policy. This way everyone within the organization understands the company’s definitions and expectations regarding attendance. In order for an absence policy to be successful, it needs to be fair and effective.
Define All Terms
Managers and employees need to understand the company’s definition of terms such as tardy, absence, leaving early, failure to call in, legitimate absence and illegitimate absence. A defined policy that is outlined in an employee manual will make sure that all employees understand the terms and everyone is treated fairly.
Traditional or Non-Traditional Policy
You also need to decide if your company wants to follow the traditional absence policy where everyone has a set number of vacation and sick days or non-traditional where everyone receives a vacation days and a specific number of occurrences. Many companies are adopting the non-traditional policy because if offers a way to track tardiness, absences and failure to call in.
Non-Traditional Policy
The non-traditional policy offers a specified number of occurrences that employees can use or be charged with depending on the type of absences. For example, being two hours late can be considered a half occurrence, while being absent is a full occurrence.
One of the benefits to employees of the occurrence system is that if he is absent four days in a row it is only considered one occurrence. Another possible benefit to employees is that some companies allow occurrences to be earned.
For example, if an employee isn’t absent, late or leaves work early for four months she can earn back half an occurrence.
Disadvantage of a Non-Traditional Policy
While the non-traditional policy may offer benefits to employees, it can be difficult for companies to manage. Managers have to track the number of occurrences an employee has, warn employees who are reaching their limit, and monitor if employees have earned occurrences back.
If your company is considering a non-traditional policy or looking for help with managing this process, click here to learn more.

Absence Management of Exempt Employees

Posted on

October 13th, 2015

Andrew

shutterstock_174966584 sm Absence management can be difficult if you are a large organization or if you have full and part time employees. Management of employee absences can become even more complicated if some of your employees have exempt status. Make sure you understand Federal Labor Standards to avoid falling into common pitfalls with your exempt employees.
Department of Labor Audits Companies
If any of your employees have exempt status you should be aware that the Department of Labor does perform audits. The organization wants to make sure that designated employees truly qualify for exempt status and that your company is following the rules. If you aren’t, then the Department of Labor may revoke the status and your organization may be required to pay the employee retroactively for any overtime or deducted wages.
Common Mistakes Most Companies Make
Many organizations don’t fully understand the exempt status and make some common mistakes, including:

Only paying an employee for a half day if they left early
Deducting pay if the employee takes time off
Deducting pay if the employee has jury duty
Deducting pay if the employee calls in sick

According to the Federal Labor Standards, you must pay an exempt employee for a full day as long as they are at work for at least five minutes of their shift. An exempt employee must also be paid for days that are missed due to illness or time off unless they miss an entire week.
There are of course exceptions to this rule, such as if the employee has vacation time or sick days he can use to replace the missing pay. There are also exemptions under the Family Medical Leave Act if your organization has 50 or more employees.
Understanding and managing employee absences gets complicated but there are ways to make tracking employee absenteeism easier. For more information on how you can get absence management under control, click here.