High absence levels can cost a business thousands of pounds every year, so it’s important to have a good absence management process in place. Usually, the cause for employee absence is minor illnesses, such as colds, flu and stomach upsets. However, other reasons for absence include stress and exhaustion, bullying and harassment, mental health issues, bereavement and long-term illnesses.

Employee absence is an unavoidable part of managing staff and running a business but good management and consistent policies can really help to make a difference. We’ve put some tips together to help you manage employee absence effectively!

1. Have a pleasant workplace

Is your workplace somewhere pleasant to be? Is it comfortable? Are your staff encouraged to take screen breaks? It seems like an obvious thing, but your staff spend a lot of their time in the workplace so it’s important to ensure its somewhere they want to come to.

2. Make absence policies clear

What do your staff have to do in order to call in sick? Is a text acceptable? An email? Is there a cut-off point? Always ensure you have a very clear policy detailing the absence process. Studies have shown that asking employees to phone in by a certain time to report an absence has had a positive impact on reducing absence. If your staff must have a quick chat with their Line Manager about their absence as part of the absence management policy, they may have second thoughts about taking a bogus sick day.

3. Use return to work interviews

It’s a good idea to conduct return to work interviews as these can help keep a lid on faking sick days.

4. Monitor absences to identify and understand trends

Do you keep a record of employee absences? Understanding absence records can help you identify trends, habits or patterns which may require focus.

5. Incentivise attendance

Incentivising attendance is a common technique used in business and one that works very well. Your staff are your business, so you want them to be happy at work. Offering rewards to staff who don’t take days off or a prize to the person with the fewest sick days often works well. Just ensure the incentive scheme is fair to everyone and has safeguards in place for the wellbeing of your team.

6. Consider increasing holiday entitlement

As mentioned previously, staff spend a lot of their time at work. If they’re being allocated the minimum holiday entitlement, they may well take the odd sick day here and there to compensate, which can be counterproductive. Allocating more holidays can help make these days off planned, which is much less disruptive to the running of your business.

7. Allow flexible working

Giving employees the chance to manage their time and have some control over their hours can make a huge difference to absences. Let’s say one of your employees has a commitment on a weekday. Allowing that person to alter their working hours, for example working four longer days to enable them to still fulfil their contracted hours, could be the difference between them taking a planned day off or a day sick, which could have a long-term effect on your business.

For more advice on how to manage your employee absences, contact us to find out how we can help.