Reducing Absenteeism In The Workplace

To overcome the problem of absenteeism it is necessary to look beneath the surface of it. Common excuses such as stress and sickness keep away from work only those people who are not particularly motivated to be there anyway.

The first step is to train managers on how to build trusting relationships with those working under them so as to foster open, two-way communication. Then there must be a holding of regular individual meetings to learn how employees feel about their jobs and what their motivation is. Such attention alone will foster a good level of loyalty from them.

Having done that managers need to develop methods to make employees feel more committed. This can be achieved by giving more responsibility, rotating tasks between employees, asking them for their input and regularly praising their efforts. All such engagement must be done at regular individual and team meetings. Unscheduled attention too easily drifts into not at all.

Simple punishments are unlikely to work because employees normally find a way around them. Though they appear to work with some, employees pressured to go to work are mentally absent whilst there. Either way, it is a lose-lose strategy because such measures create a negative environment which can make the workplace seem like a prison, thus further motivating them to seek ways of escaping.

To maximize results, focus should be given where there is the greatest likelihood of a positive return on time, effort and money. Therefore, employees should be placed in 3 categories, those who have legitimate reasons, long standing problem employees and those most responsive to other changes implemented in the past.

Employees who show themselves to be most responsivebeginning of an anti-absenteeism campaign} should be shown most attention. As for those who respond poorly, unless they are considered to be performing an essential role, there may be no alternative but to find replacements who are more interested in making a commitment.

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