| By :
Jamie Simpson
Absenteeism is a term somewhat overused and misunderstood in today's business world. If a company has a high absenteeism rate, generally it is not the whole company, but only certain sections or divisions of that company that bring the average up to where it is unacceptable. It may not be prudent to attack the problem with a shotgun, but rather to rifle in or pinpoint trouble areas and fix them. There are, of course, some companywide programs that can be initiated such as rewarding perfect attendance with gifts and bonuses. While these are not bad policies, they can adversely affect the bottom line by costing too much for those employees who are never absent in the first place while having little effect on those who are away a lot for no apparent good reason. Assuming you have good hiring practices, an attendance policy in force and a reasonably fit work force; if absenteeism is too high, there are stressors at work within the company. While some positions in and of themselves are high stress, usually people who occupy them are those who can and do cope. They do not miss work. In more than 90% of the time, high absenteeism is due to stressful interpersonal relations at the office or at the shop. It is not always between supervisor and employee; sometimes it is between employees themselves. If a supervisor is creating a hostile environment, then morale will be low throughout the department and absenteeism will be high. If it is between employees, then the high absenteeism will be concentrated into one geographic area of the department. All it takes is a little checking of attendance records to see where the abuse is happening and by whom. Once the trouble areas are identified, then it is a matter of retraining or removing. Perhaps a supervisor needs additional training on interpersonal skills. Perhaps an employee needs counselling on doing his/her own work and not gossiping. If counselling and/or retraining doesn't get the job done, then removing the source of the interpersonal conflict is the only answer. Removing does not mean transferring the problem to another department, it means removing from the company. This can create another problem; what to do when the employee or supervisor leaves and there is no one to take their place. Consider outsourcing. Human Resources Outsourcing companies can provide you with excellent temporary or even permanent replacement people. The result of your efforts will be higher morale and lower absenteeism.
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