7 Easy Ways to Improve Employee Motivation

Posted on

December 24th, 2018

Unmotivated employees are more likely to arrive late for work, leave early, or call out of work altogether. Employee absenteeism doesn’t just wreak havoc on morale; it also takes a large bite out of a company’s bottom line. Absenteeism can cost employers as much as $2500 a day in expenses so it behooves them to find creative ways to keep employees passionate about their work. The following are several suggestions employers can utilize to inspire more enthusiasm in their employees:

Recognize a job well done. Employees need to know their employer appreciates their work. They won’t continue to go above and beyond if their boss never recognizes their effort.
Create small, measurable goals. A project that stretches on for weeks with no end in sight can rapidly demoralize staff. Setting small goals allows staff to visualize their progress and keep them on track.
Celebrate the small things. Applauding milestones helps with motivation as well. Recognition should be specific to the employee to highlight how his or her work directly affects the end goal.
Take breaks at frequent intervals. Employees lose effectiveness the longer they force themselves to work on a tiring project. Sitting for hours on end isn’t healthy either. Taking a five-minute break every hour or so can help employees clear their heads and re-engage with the project.
Explain the big picture. Employees working on small parts of a bigger project may not understand why their work matters. Showing them the big picture and explaining how their work helps achieve that can do wonders for their motivation.
Afford employees more autonomy. Employers and managers often have an idea of how and when a project should progress. However, micromanaging can stifle creativity and lead to resentment. Giving employees more say over their work can improve the final results and their outlook.
Embrace nature. Natural light is vital to keep employees in a good mood. If the office lacks this feature, it may be worth the effort to hold a team meeting outdoors if the weather allows for it. Having a walking meeting can boost creativity as the change of environment allows for new perspectives and fresh ideas.

Improving motivation in the workplace doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Implementing some or all of the above ideas can help boost productivity, improve workplace morale, and have a noticeable effect on employee attendance. To learn more about reducing absenteeism, contact the experts at Actec.

How Poor Employee Attendance Affects Your Bottom Line

Posted on

December 17th, 2018

Andrew

Employee absences have a far-reaching effect on businesses. Routine absences cost companies money due to a decrease in productivity from the missing employee. An employee who is absent on a regular basis affects other worker’s productivity as well since the remaining staff will have to take on the absent employee’s work to meet deadlines. Spread loading work in this manner can also affect morale. Staff members who have to work late will swiftly come to resent the absent employee and likely experience a dip in motivation. It is vital for employers to understand how absenteeism affects the workplace so they can draft and implement effective attendance policies.

Employee and Company Growth

Most businesses hire an individual with the intention to draw on their expertise as well as help them grow in their skills. This benefits the employee as well as the company as it ensures mutual growth. An employee must be present in order to achieve sufficient professional development. Otherwise, it will be almost impossible for an employee to learn new skills. In fact, an employee may experience a regression in their skill set from a disruptive work schedule.

Continuity and Job Performance

An employee with poor attendance affects workflow and continuity for larger projects. A project either comes to a halt or slows down when an employee is not present to do their share of the work. Existing staff members or temporary hires must step in to fill the gap. This is less than ideal because other employees have their own work to perform and temporary workers take time to train.

Employees who rack up several absences without discernible consequences can affect the job performance of other staff members. The cause for this is twofold. Some employees may feel slighted for their efforts. They come to work on time and do their job while the absent employee receives the same benefits without the work. Other employees may see that management is not cracking down on absences. This can cause employees with good attendance to start taking advantage of a weak absenteeism policy.

Conflict Amongst Staff

The staff members left to take on the absent employee’s workload will become resentful over time. This can result in passive aggressive behavior or overt conflicts in the workplace. This can further disrupt productivity, as the employees will not work well together. It also creates a toxic atmosphere that can affect employees not otherwise involved in the conflict. If left unchecked, employers can experience high turnover rates.

Understanding how chronic absenteeism affects your company’s finances and workplace morale is key to implementing effective absence management solutions. Actec can help your business put an absence reporting program into place to track the frequency and cost of absences, increase productivity by reducing absenteeism, and more. To learn more, contact us today.

How to Prevent Employee Burnout, Absenteeism, and Turnover

Posted on

September 17th, 2018

Andrew

Gallop conducted a recent study of 7500 full-time employees and found that almost a quarter of them (23%) felt burned out in the office on a regular basis if not at all times. Nearly half (44%) reported experiencing burnout at some point. Employees who are on the verge of mental or emotional collapse in the workplace represent a significant challenge for employers. These employees are more prone to illnesses such as depression, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, and more.

What Causes Employee Burnout?

Several factors contribute to employee burnout. These include:

Difficult or impossible deadlines
Unmanageable workload
Unfair treatment at the office
Limited support from management
Working off the clock (i.e. responding to emails and text messages during off hours)

The Cost of Employee Burnout

As mentioned above, stressed out employees are more likely to experience physical and mental health issues. These medical costs translate to $125-$190 billion in health care expenses per year. Not only that, employees experiencing burnout are more likely to suffer from attendance issues (i.e. arriving late, leaving early, or calling out often). Given enough time, excessive workplace stress can result in employee turnover, which carries significant costs for businesses. With two-thirds of employees experiencing some kind of burnout, business managers need to take steps to reduce employees’ stress or be prepared to pay the costs.

How to Prevent Employee Burnout

Part of preventing burnout is ensuring smooth business operations. For managers this means:

Knowing and cultivating employees’ strengths. When an employee is in a position that doesn’t match his or her skill set, he or she will become frustrated and disengage. Employers should take pains to match employees with jobs and tasks that allow them to utilize their skills and thrive. Encouraging employees to get involved in professional development activities can further hone their skills and motivate them.
Working on employees’ weaknesses. While employees would prefer to play to their strengths, there will always be areas of their job that intimidate them. Instead of skirting the edges of these tasks, employers should encourage employees to improve their knowledge and grow in their abilities.
Communicate often. If employers don’t communicate with their employees on a regular basis, they run the risk of overlooking employee frustrations. By maintaining frequent communications, managers and employers can identify stress points. Asking for feedback and opinions also makes employees feel like management values their opinion, which improves their overall job satisfaction. In fact, employees who feel like management supports them are 70% less likely to experience burnout.

Preventing employee burnout whenever possible is vital to keeping employees engaged and reducing absenteeism rates. If your company is struggling with poor employee attendance, contact the experts at Actec to learn how we can help.

Encourage and Improve Employee Attendance

Posted on

September 3rd, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Every business needs their employees to come to work on time; however, customer-centric jobs tend to suffer the most in the short term. While missing employees will affect productivity for all companies down the line, businesses that work face-to-face with customers on a daily basis feel the pinch right away. When employees start arriving late, leaving early, or not arriving at all, employers will have a variety of staff-wide problems on their hands. Poor attendance torpedoes morale, forces other employees to work overtime, reduces engagement, and hinders productivity.

5 Ways to Foster Better Attendance

Customer support jobs aren’t the only professions that feel immediate effects due to absenteeism. Teachers, healthcare providers, and technical support jobs all have workstations that are painfully obvious when vacant. Companies that rely on collaboration between departments also experience the effects when a major project can’t move forward. Regardless of work environment, all businesses need to keep absences under control. Several ways to achieve this include:

Create and implement rules in a uniform manner. Every employee, regardless of position, needs to receive a copy of the company handbook with clear details about leave policies during orientation. When employees know paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and vacation leave are the same for everyone, it has a positive effect on their sense of fairness. Whether an employee works in the warehouse, the front office, or the executive suite, attendance policies should apply across the board.
Manage absences by underscoring employee importance. Some absences are legitimate—employees fall ill, experience injuries, and any number of protected kinds of absences can occur. However, unscheduled absences stress out the rest of the staff, which can lead to more absences over time. When an employee calls out, their supervisor should have a conversation with that employee letting them know the staff and managers will miss them and they hope for a rapid and full recovery. When the employee returns, their supervisor should welcome them back in person and underscore the employee’s importance. When employees feel like an essential part of the team, they are less likely to call out for dubious reasons.
Be flexible whenever possible. Flextime and working from home have gained in popularity for good reason. Parents dropping off children at school or picking them up from childcare can’t always work a traditional 9-5. For example, allowing them to shift their day to work 7-3 can allow their spouses or partners to drop children off at school while they pick them up afterward. This cuts down on the need for childcare and reduces stress over finances. While an employee’s personal life isn’t the supervisor’s job to manage, their personal stress can affect their attendance and performance.
Reward employees for good attendance. Some employers balk at the idea of paying their employees extra for showing up on time to do their job. However, all employees like to feel appreciated. Recognizing stellar attendance make employees feel valued and thereby improves their loyalty. Reward programs can be as simple as free movie tickets or as grand as earning an extra vacation day for every month of perfect attendance.

Too many attendance policies are consequence-driven. While there need to be penalties for absenteeism, focusing on the positive is much more likely to yield the attendance results an employer wants. If your company is struggling with absenteeism, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about how our absence reporting program can improve attendance.

How to Curb Summertime Blues and Improve Attendance

Posted on

July 18th, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Sunny days can entice employees to fake a sick day. There isn’t anything unusual about waking up on a beautiful day and wishing to spend it lounging by the ocean than in an office. However, more and more people are giving into this impulse and calling out of work. This is a challenge for employers as it‘s difficult to determine who is ill and who is spending the day at the beach.
Economic authorities refer to the moment when employees decide to call out of work to enjoy a sunny day the bliss point. One expert found the exact statistics to trigger the bliss point are:

81 degrees Fahrenheit including humidity (27.2 degrees Celsius)
Clear skies
A gentle breeze (9 mph or 14.7 km/h)

Most workplaces blame stress for why workers misuse their sick leave, but it’s worth looking at the weather as a possible motivator.

How to Reduce Weather-Induced Absences

Compounding the problem, the employees most likely to call out of work to enjoy the weather are the ones who can least afford it. For example, new employees or at-will employees are on tentative grounds as their employers can fire them with relative ease. While remaining gainfully employed should be reason enough, employers plagued by absenteeism may need to provide another incentive.
Offering flexible hours, such as arriving earlier in the day to be able to leave earlier and still enjoy the weather may be enough to tip the scales. Employers could also consider allowing employees to work an extra hour Monday-Thursday so they can take off half a day on Fridays.
Businesses also need to consider the work environment they provide for their staff. If the building is lacking sufficient natural light, stuffy, or otherwise uncomfortable during the summer months, employees will actively want to avoid it. Providing simple but fun summer activities can help as well such as offering popsicles in the break room. Getting employees outside can reduce the impulse to call out of work as well. Companies can achieve this by encouraging employees to go for a walk during their lunch, eat outdoors, or hold walking meetings.
If your business is struggling with summertime absenteeism, Actec can help. Our absence reporting system can help employers reduce the frequency and duration of absences as well as improve employee productivity. Contact us to learn more.

Five Critical Advantages to Enhanced Employee Attendance Tracking

Posted on

April 10th, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_174966584 sm Most employers realize the value of employee attendance tracking systems. However, not all tracking systems provide the same services or features. When employers and employees work together to make the most of the attendance system, both parties can reap significant benefits. The following points highlight how such a system provides benefits for all:

Business leaders can identify attendance issues before they get out of hand. Attendance trackers do more than keep records of when employees request time off work. They can also show when employees arrive, when they take breaks, and when they leave for the day. It can show if certain employees are abusing the system by arriving a bit late, taking long lunches, or leaving earlier than they should. While a few minutes here and there is not a big issue, it adds up and can affect productivity as well as morale if it continues unchecked.
Attendance trackers expedite payroll processes. Employees expect their employers to pay them in full and on time. Attendance trackers can help speed up this process, as HR does not have to hunt down information about attendance (either absences or overtime). The system collects and stores all of the relevant payroll data in one place.
Improves employee morale. While employees may show chagrin regarding a new attendance tracking system, their opinion will likely do a 180 when HR responds promptly to their time off requests. While employees often plan vacations well in advance and can wait for approval without issue, not all requests have such a long shelf life. For example, if an employee’s child becomes ill, he or she will want a rapid response to their request. The system can improve workplace morale in another crucial way as well. Employees who are always late or leave early tank the morale of their coworkers who arrive on time and complete a full workday. It creates a sense of unfairness and can delay projects. The system can identify employees with attendance issues and allow managers to correct them.
Employers can embrace telecommuting without fear. While today’s workforce desires flexible schedules and the ability to work from home, many employers worry that employees will not give their full focus to their job if they are not in the office. However, many attendance trackers come with or have the ability to add on a remote clocking feature. This provides accountability while allowing employees to work from home.
Employee tracking systems reduce absenteeism. We touched on this point somewhat above, but addressing attendance issues such as arriving late or leaving early is different from full-blown absenteeism. Calling out of work for legitimate issues is normal, but when an employee begins to call out for unnecessary reasons, it becomes a problem. Without an attendance tracking system, it can be hard for employers to keep track of when employees called out and why. This can lead to overlooked absences or illegal disciplinary measures, such as if an employee called out for federally protected reasons (i.e. ADA, FMLA, etc.). However, with an attendance tracking system in place, employers can see which absences are reasonable and which they will need to address.

If your business is struggling with attendance problems or absenteeism, Actec can help. Our absence reporting system can help employers implement consistent leave administration and reduce absenteeism all while complying with federal and state laws regarding employee leave. To learn more, contact us today.

Top 5 Job Related Conditions Affecting Employee Attendance, Engagement, and Retention

Posted on

August 2nd, 2017

Andrew

main_top_bg While come causes for absences are legitimate and unavoidable, many others have nothing to do with sickness, injury, or loss. These are job related conditions, and if they aren’t analyzed and controlled they can significantly undermine your bottom line and your company’s reputation.
Job Related Conditions for Frequent Absences
Job-related conditions include more than just an accident at work or George coming in with a head cold and spreading it through the sales department. The work environment and level of employee engagement can also determine how often your employees call in sick. These conditions include:

Stress and burnout
Bullying/harassment
Low Morale
Poorly Defined Leave Policies
Lack of communication, vision, and direction for individual employees and the organization as a whole

These conditions are preventable and if they go unchecked your company can gain the reputation of being a bad place to work.
A Bad Place to Work
Workplace toxicity and malaise impact both turnover and recruitment efforts, in addition to employee attendance and performance. These factors all affect product quality and perpetuate a downward spiral of disintegrating workplace morale. From adaptability and ingenuity to market capitalization and corporate reputation, failing to target these issues is a mistake no company can afford.
Employee Engagement
Increasing employee engagement, encouraging workers to use their vacation time to prevent burnout and instituting a zero tolerance for harassment will improve company morale and attendance rate. Earning a reputation for being a company that cares will also help your organization recruit the top candidates in your industry and improve company efficiency.
Absence Reporting & Analytics
Tracking employee absences is crucial to understanding and repairing absence trends and challenges in your organization. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about improve absence reporting and analytics through customized offsite solutions.

Top Five Tips for Managing Summertime Absenteeism

Posted on

July 26th, 2017

Andrew

shutterstock_174875483 Absenteeism is an issue that employers must deal with all year round. However, absenteeism tends to increase during certain times of the year such as holidays and during the summer. The reasons for attendance issues during the summer are numerous.
Employees struggling with asthma may experience greater respiratory distress during the summer months and have to take time off from work as a result. Employees with children may have to take time off if their childcare plans fall through. The warm weather and sunny days also act as a lure. The sunshine may tempt some employees to take a long weekend or call in sick even if they are in perfect health.
If employers notice an increase in summer absences, they may be at a loss for how to handle the issue. Below are several suggestions to help combat summertime absenteeism.
1. Employees who are uncomfortable in the office will lack motivation to come to work. Employers should make sure that working conditions are excellent by checking the air conditioning, lighting, and so on. Keeping employees comfortable in the workplace goes a long way toward improving attendance.
2. Employees take summer vacations—this is nothing new. In fact, management should encourage employees to take vacations to help avoid burnout. However, employers should also keep the remaining staff in mind when approving leave. Other employees have to take on their absent coworker’s workload. Employers should encourage staff members to prioritize their work. The less important tasks can wait until their coworker returns.
3. Turn absence management over to managers and supervisors. Because these individuals work closely with their teams, they will notice attendance problems sooner than an employer will. This allows employers to address absenteeism when it first begins rather than letting it get out of hand.
4. Consider flexible work options. Allowing employees to adjust their work hours or to work from home a certain number of days per week can help them maintain their work-life balance during the summer months. For example, allowing an employee to start and end their workday an hour earlier may give them the time they need to pick their child up from their care provider.
5. Implement a rewards program. Negative consequences and disciplinary actions can only go so far toward improving attendance. Positive reinforcement provides a much greater incentive. For example, employees with perfect attendance for the month can enter their name into a prize drawing. Some prize examples include a gift card for dinner for two at a local restaurant, a day at the spa, or movie tickets.
Actec understands employers need effective solutions for absenteeism. To discuss implementing absence management solutions that work, contact us today.

How to Manage Social Media in the Workplace

Posted on

July 12th, 2017

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Most employees have easy access to social media while in the workplace. Whether their job requires them to use a computer or they have a smartphone, social media is within their reach during the workday. While social media has made it easier for people to stay connected, it has also caused problems for employers.
Angry employees can damage a company’s reputation by broadcasting their frustrations to a large internet audience. Workplace productivity can also suffer due to distracted employees checking for updates and posting to their social accounts. Social media can begin to take its toll on employee attendance as well due to extended or frequent breaks to check for updates.
Many employers are struggling with how to handle social media in the workplace. Smart employers can harness the power of social media to boost exposure and sales. However, before using social media to their benefit, employers need to address social media use by their staff. Below are several tips for managing social media in the office.

Monitor Employee Productivity

Not all social media sites are public, so employers cannot always see if employees are using them during the workday. However, a sudden dip in productivity may be due to excessive time on social media. If an employer establishes performance expectations and a review process, employees will focus more on meeting goals and deadlines than checking social media to ensure a positive review.

Be Aware of Unhappy Employees

Most unhappy employees are the product of a difficult work atmosphere. Employers can train managers to recognize signs of dissatisfaction and to monitor employees for potential rifts. Employers can prevent a social media incident by identifying potential conflicts and addressing workplace disputes before they get out of control.

Put a Policy in Place

Putting a social media clause within the company handbook can help provide guidelines for social media use both in and out of the office. The policy can discuss confidentiality to protect sensitive company information. Employers should also communicate their expectations of how employees can or cannot use social media during the workday. If an employer does not want employees updating their social sites while at work, they need to make this clear. Be sure the policy is enforceable; otherwise, it carries no weight.
Social media can affect a company’s reputation, employee productivity, and employee attendance. By taking the proper steps, employers can mitigate these difficulties. To learn more about how social media affects absence management, contact Actec.

Do You Know Why Your Employees Are Absent?

Posted on

June 20th, 2017

Andrew

shutterstock_306793247 - Copy Handling employee attendance is one of the more difficult parts of managing a company. Some absences are legitimate while others are inappropriate; it is a delicate process determining which is the case. Managers cannot begin to handle absence issues without understanding why employees call out of work in the first place. Once a manager has a grasp of why employees are struggling with attendance, they can develop a plan to resolve the issue.

Common Causes of Absenteeism

Employees take paid time off (PTO) for a number of reasons—some more legitimate than others. Some of these reasons include:

Illness or injury: Being sick or going to doctor appointments are the most common reasons employees give for missing work. This type of absence is most prolific during cold and flu season. Injuries that occur on or off the clock also sideline employees. These injuries can be acute or chronic.
Caring for others: Another common cause of employee absence is the need to care for a child or elder when other sources of care are unavailable. For example, a parent may call out of work when their child cannot attend school due to a snow day.
Borrowing time: Sometimes attendance issues are not related to absences. Employees who skim time off their workday can cause just as many productivity problems as those who miss the entire workday. Patterns employers should look for are employees who arrive late, leave early, or take lengthy breaks.
Morale and motivation: Employees that are overworked or feel unappreciated have little motivation to come to work. In fact, the stress of the workplace can drive them to avoid the environment entirely. Once an employee loses their enthusiasm for their job, they are more prone to call out of work.
Harassment: If an employee feels like a coworker or boss is bullying them, they may call out to avoid the individual.

The costs related to absenteeism and the related loss in productivity add up quickly. Some of the direct costs include lost wages paid to the absent employee, the wages paid to other employees working overtime to cover the extra work, and administrative expenses spent on managing attendance issues.

What Employers Can do to Reduce Absenteeism

There are a number of approaches employers can take to reduce absenteeism. Some of these include:

Require a written doctor’s note for employees who call out sick.
Offer paid sick leave in addition to paid vacation days. This will help reduce the number of employees who come into work when ill to avoid burning through their leave. This stops sick staff members from spreading their germs. The end result is fewer sick employees overall.
Implement a health and wellness program to address employees’ physical, mental, and economic health.

Employers also need a high quality absence reporting program to track attendance and simplify the leave process for both human resources and employees. Investing in Actec’s absence reporting solutions can help managers improve productivity and combat absenteeism. Contact us to learn more.