Combat Absenteeism by Addressing Workplace Stress
For Supervisors and Managers
Lost time costs money one way or another – new hires and training, understaffed job sites, and poor customer service all take a toll. Preventing accidents and returning injured employees to work safely are two key factors in combating lost time. Another factor, often overlooked, is reducing workplace stress.
On any given day, 10 percent of employees miss work. But this doesn’t mean they are all physically ill and cannot work. Some may be stressed out by the workplace. In addition to burnout and turnover, workplace stress can lead to health problems such as backaches and headaches.
To combat stress-related absenteeism, consider the following strategies:
Management style: Authoritarian management styles tend to promote high levels of absenteeism among employees. Identify managers who use an authoritarian style and provide management training. This is a positive step toward reducing absenteeism, turnover, job burnout and employee health problems.
Workplace culture: Poor co-worker relationships can also create stress. Employees may avoid the workplace because they are fearful of or angry with another employee. Adopt policies and values that promote employee respect and professionalism. Institute an internal conflict resolution procedure, which will stop employee stress from compounding.
Incentives: Companies use a variety of incentive programs based on attendance. Some allow employees to cash in unused sick days periodically, while others give bonus pay for perfect attendance. Your company’s incentive program should be tailored to your company. A general guideline is the younger the workers and the more difficult the work, the more frequently incentives should be provided. Also, start with small incentives and work up to larger ones, if necessary.
Attendance policy: Every business should have an attendance policy, which allows managers to address employees who are frequently absent. Talk with employees about absenteeism. It may point to a larger problem within the company.
By incorporating some of these strategies, you will reduce absenteeism, employee burnout, turnover, and poor morale at your company.