Four Tips to Reduce Employee Absenteeism

What you can do to reduce unauthorised absenteeism:

l. Show you care – There are a number of ways you can show your employee that you appreciate them but sometimes all it takes is to tell them that you care. This could be as simple as just listening to them. They may not just have issues in the workplace, so letting them know they can open up to you about anything they feel comfortable talking about can go a long way. You don’t even have to approach them. By having an open-door policy, it lets your employees know that they are always welcome to come and talk to you in your office. And if you can entice them in with the offer of cookies or treats that are strategically placed so they can help themselves – then even better.

2. Work/life balance – Most people, on average, spend a third of their day at work, possibly more if they work shifts. But it’s important that they don’t spend more time at their desk than they need to, so that they can have some kind of life too. Whether it’s to socialize or spend it with their family, while work is important, spending time outside of work is just as, if not more important. Be conscious about your employees’ work loads. If they are taking longer than usual or staying behind more, then instead of reprimanded them about their pace of work, it might be a good idea to re-evaluate the amount of work you are giving them. If it’s too much then scale it back or share it among others.

3. Flexible working – More companies are offering this option to their employees than ever before. Giving your employees the flexibility to work from home or from an office nearer to their home, or even while they’re away from their home or the office, has great benefits. There are a number of myths about flexible working and employees being slack or less committed, but the facts suggest otherwise. In fact, flexible working can increase productivity and employee engagement and is worth considering.

4. Employee responsibility – I’m not just talking about the responsibility an employee has to you and the business, but the responsibilities you can give them to make them feel empowered. A lot of managers say they want to empower their employees, but very few actually do it well. In fact it’s a buzzword often used by management, but very rarely practiced effectively in most organizations and that’s for a number of reasons. For a manager to empower their employee there has to be an element of trust on both sides. Trust from the manager that the employee can do the job and manage their time effectively and trust from the employee that they can confidently perform the task. But giving your employees the responsibility to manage their own shift patterns, or the days of the week they want to work from the office or home are just some of the ways you can help make them feel empowered.

There are number of reasons employees are absent from work and while some reasons may be genuine like sickness or bereavement, unfortunately proving unauthorised absences isn’t that easy. By using these tips you can help reduce the amount of unauthorised absences in your company. But if after this has been done, there are certain employees who are still not showing up for work on a regular basis, then there might be another reason they’re avoiding work.

Source: The Undercover Recruiter.com