What can you do about employee absenteeism?

Do you have high rates of employee absenteeism in the office? If you have noticed that several employees are taking advantage of sick leave, it may be time to crack down on the issues and look for ways in which you can reduce absenteeism. Employee absenteeism is something that is growing out of control and a number of businesses have found that it costs about $650 or more per employee. So what can you do about your employees high rates of absenteeism? Here are some tips to help:

Absence Policy
Sometimes employees just do not understand that they are causing problems for the company by taking time off. You need to have an absence policy that clearly explains to employees what happens when they take time off for non-sick related days. If a person is truly ill, you don't want to encourage them to come into the office as they can spread the illness to others and this can leave you with a big problem on your hands. However the employees that take time off because they are fatigued or because they don't feel like coming into work today need to have an absence policy so they can understand the importance of not abusing sick leave.

What does the absence policy need to cover? It needs to clearly state how many sick leave days employees have and what will happen when they come back to work after using their sick leave. Since other employees are thrust into the role of doing their job while they are ill, you need to have a policy for the employees to follow so they know what needs to be done. To make sure your absence policy is legal, you need to develop one with an attorney or with trade bodies in order to ensure that it is a good policy. Have your employees review it as well before you fully implement it into the company as this will help people to agree with it or to suggest changes.

Promote a healthy office
After you develop an absence policy and you have educated your employees on it, you then need to move into promoting a healthier office. Your workplace could be causing the health problems to occur thanks to poor ventilation and other concerns. Make sure the building is being cleaned and that it is not being cleaned with toxic or harsh chemicals that can cause respiratory problems and other health concerns. In addition to cleaning the office you also need to work on promoting healthier bodies. Have an on-site exercise facility and encourage your employees to use it. You might also try getting rid of the unhealthy foods in your office and having your employees drink more water and to eat fruits and vegetables.

Reward Employees
To avoid high rates of absenteeism, reward the employees for using it properly. If they call in sick because they have an illness, recognize this and thank them for doing so. You also need to have an attendance record and you should provide a bonus or a nice reward to the employees that acquire a higher rate of attendance. Divide up the time frames by quarters so the employees all have a chance to get a fresh start at it and to try and get the reward for not taking time off.

Helping employees to take notice of their lifestyle choices can also help your company. You want to draw attention to smoking and obesity as they can lead to issues with the staff and lead you to suffer from higher medical expenses. Implement a quality wellness program that will encourage employees to take notice of their health and to try and take steps toward living a healthier lifestyle.