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How to reduce absenteeism among your employees

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Absenteeism can be a huge cost, for many businesses. This is especially true, for many smaller businesses that don't have the staff to take up the slack, when an employee calls in. This canbe a frustrating experience, both for the employer, and the other employees who must work extra hard to shoulder the work of the absent employee. This can be a difficult place for any business to be, since having a sick employee come to work, is not a good idea either. Recent studies show that while absenteeism costs billions of dollars a year, to businesses, the costs of having a sick employee come to work actually exceeds that figure! This is why it is so important that businesses educate their employees on the costs of absenteeism and why prevention is so important. Here is what you need to know about how to reduce absenteeism among your employees-

- Educate your employees about sick time-Many employers feel that if they offer sick time, their employees will just use it as extra vacation. Your employees need to know that this time is given to them to use, only when they are truly sick. Many times it can be helpful to educate your employees at the true cost of coming to work sick, so that they will understand what their sick time is really for. In order to combat the misuse of sick time, many employers are not requiring the employee to bring a doctor's note to prove that the time was taken to actually recuperate from being sick. This action has both pros and cons, as it may deter those employees from using sick time, for something else, it can also increase health care costs, since most employees will have to pay for a doctor's visit in order to get a note. The determination as to take this kind of action,will have to be made on a case by case basis, by the employer. Some employers have taken the step of eliminating all sick leave, which forces employees to use vacation if they are sick. The problem with this is that many times employees will not want to lose vacation days, so they will come to work sick, which raises the risk of everyone around them. Educating your employee about sick leave and opening a frank and honest dialogue with them, is the best way to deal with sick leave issues.
- Keep the office and surrounding areas as clean as possible-Many people do not realize how dirty an office environment can be. This is especially true because offices are not generally cleaned as often as an individual's home. While a full cleaning may not be possible, there are simple steps that can keep the workplace cleaner. Using antiseptic wipes on phones, keyboards and doorknobs, can help to cut down on the transmission of germs. In addition, instituting reminders about hand washing can help employees cut down on the transmission of germs. Finally, make sure that your workplace has a healthy air flow. When air flow is being re-circulated within a business, it can mean that you are simply breathing in the same germs over and over again. Air should be circulated in from outside and if that is not possible, then an air purifier can help to reduce the amount of sickness that is carried through the workplace.
- Encourage sick employees to get treatment-Many times illnesses present as small problems that with quick treatment, can be easily resolved. If you notice that an employee seems under the weather, even so slightly, then encourage them to seek medical treatment. This can help prevent a more serious illness that results in having to be absent, or worse yet, spreads through your entire staff.

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