10 Tips for using Employee-Friendly Work Practices to Manage Absenteeism Rates

On average, unscheduled absences cost businesses $650 per employee per year – not exactly chump change when you consider the number of employees on your payroll. Beyond the monetary costs associated with missed work, absences also inconvenience customers and co-workers, slow productivity, and can negatively impact employee morale.While absences are inevitable, employers can limit the number of unnecessary absences by implementing some simple employee-friendly work practices, such as flex-time, childcare assistance and health and wellness programs.

Below are 10 tips to reduce employee absenteeism and make your company a better place to work:

1. Manage employee stress. Stress is the leading cause of absenteeism among employees. Common workplace stressors include excessive workloads, long hours, conflicting expectations, and poor management. To help diminish some of the negative effects of stress – and increase employee attendance rates - consider encouraging regular rest breaks, setting realistic expectations, and training your managers to build positive working relationships with their staff.
2. Facilitate employee engagement. Employees who are engaged are more satisfied and typically miss less work days than employees who are dissatisfied or disengaged. To facilitate employee engagement, get employees involved. Hold regular staff meetings to inform employees of business goals and objectives and to solicit their feedback on different business initiatives. Other options for bolstering employee engagement include: taking a vested interest in employees’ career development, providing increased job responsibilities, and allowing for greater employee autonomy.
3. Promote teamwork. Poor co-worker relations can be a significant contributor affecting an employee’s decision to take time off of work. In an effort to avoid confrontation, many employees will opt to call out of work rather than face their problems head on. To promote positive workplace relationships, use teambuilding activities, such as trust exercises, ice-breakers and role-playing. When employees work together, bonds will intensify and an appreciation for one another will emerge.
4. Reward regular attendance. Recognition is a powerful form of reinforcement and can go a long way in boosting employee attendance rates. Let employees know you appreciate their hard work and dedication. Whether it’s a simple “thank you” note or an award plaque provided at a company event, recognition doesn’t need to be extravagant.
5. Tie attendance to performance. For employees to realize its importance, attendance should be a part of the performance evaluation process. Awareness that attendance patterns have the potential to impact their performance review may be all that’s necessary to prevent unnecessary absences all together.
6. Implement flexible work schedules. Work/life balance is difficult for many working Americans to achieve. You can help lessen the stress that comes with juggling work and personal obligations by developing flexible work arrangements, such as compressed workweeks, flex-time, job sharing, or telecommuting. These options will ensure employees don’t miss important work requirements and are always there when you need them to be.
7. Child care assistance. Consider offering childcare assistance to further help circumvent unexpected absences. “Back-up” daycare programs, which employees can use on an occasionally basis to fill unexpected gaps in daycare, are becoming more popular among employers. Some employers subsidize these programs and require employees to pay for a portion of the service while others provide a predetermined number of days per year which can be used for backup care, free of charge. Not only does childcare assistance promote employee morale, but it will also serve to severely cut down on unplanned absences.
8. Encourage health & wellness. Studies have proven that employees who take part in health and wellness programs are less likely to take sick days and are more alert and focused during the workday. Employers should consider promoting a health and wellness culture by educating employees on proper nutrition and effective exercise techniques, organizing a walking group during lunch breaks, and offering incentives for employees to participate (think discounts on health insurance premiums). A healthy workplace is a happy one!
9. Promote a positive public image. Make your business a place employees are proud to come to every day. Consider getting more involved in the community and encourage employee participation in community activities, such as charity walks and participation in local big brother/big sister programs. Not only will these types of activities have a positive affect on morale, but they will also serve to positively impact your’ company’s image.
10. Ensure consistency. Company procedures need to be enforced consistently and fairly in order to be effective. Say, for instance, Sally and John were both absent three days this month; Sally received a written warning and John was terminated. These types of inconsistencies in applying workplace rules will be viewed as biased and discriminatory, which can be disheartening for fellow employees. Rules regarding attendance must be applied in a timely and uniform fashion for employees to truly get the message.

Employee attendance is directly linked to employee satisfaction. Engaged and well adjusted employees are less likely to take time off of work, whereas unhappy or stressed employees are more likely to use their allotted time off and then some. Make your company a great place to work and you’ll likely see a decline in employee absenteeism rates and an increase in productivity.