More than one quarter of businesses believe that there has been a sharp rise in absenteeism in the workplace over the past few years, and it seems that they’re correct. The average employee now misses 7.3 days of work annually due to sickness; a factor which is costing organisations almost £800 per worker per year.
Why is Absenteeism Rising?
Growing rates of absenteeism can be traced back to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Government introduced mandatory isolation for those testing positive for the virus. Even when these measures were lifted, employees experiencing any symptoms were still encouraged to remain at home to protect the vulnerable.
Now that the UK is returning to normal, it appears that absenteeism is still growing. This is primarily driven by the long term aftereffects of lockdown. Weakened immune systems from staying home, for example, are believed to be responsible for the severe flu season, while mental health across the UK is quickly reaching crisis levels.
Exploring the Impact
Absenteeism in the workplace is creating three urgent issues:
- Loss of productivity: Fewer staff members results in slow downs and delays
- Increased workloads: Employees feel overwhelmed covering for others
- Declined satisfaction: Absence can result in disputes between staff and business
All three issues can have significant effects on an organisation, ranging from their ability to retain top talent to the quality of their work and impression on clients. Therefore, it’s essential that absenteeism is addressed. But how can it be done?
The Solution
While it’s not possible to prevent your employees from picking up common colds and other minor infections, it is possible to reduce absence rates in the workplace by taking a proactive approach to absenteeism. This is especially true when it comes to psychological illness, which now accounts for many instances of employee sickness.
Reports show that, between 2020 – 2021, more than 820,000 UK workers were said to be suffering with work-related mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or stress. This is understood to account for 72 million workplace absences every year.
By introducing a workplace wellness initiative – such as offering a safe space for people to talk, and opportunities to share experiences to help others – Deloitte estimates that businesses could see returns of £5 for every £1 spent on the scheme.
For physical forms of illness, there are other opportunities to cut down on absenteeism. For example, in cases where an employee feels fit to work but does not want to spread germs around the office, a flexible policy could help to maintain productivity while also keeping those working in the office safe and healthy.
In other situations, it may be possible to minimise the amount of time an employee needs off work. Could a phased return be used? Is there anything that the business could do to make a return to work safer and quicker for the employee? If the employee is able to carry out some tasks, but not others, could work be reassigned?
Building an Absence Policy
Of course, not all illnesses have a solution. Sometimes, employees need to stay home from work. It’s natural, and it happens to everyone. In these cases, the best thing that you can do as a business is to ensure that all employees are clear on the organisation’s absence policy and understand what is expected of them.
For example, do your employees know how to inform the business that they will be absent? Do they know how they are supposed to keep in touch with their team, when they are required to provide a fit note, or how much they’ll be paid while off?
Having all this documented can not only go a long way towards preventing disputes, but can also make employees feel happier, more confident, and more satisfied knowing that there is complete transparency in how absence is handled.
