Get tough on absentee workers

By HELEN LOVELESS, MAIL ON SUNDAY ENTERPRISE EDITOR
Updated:

 

Employees who are often absent can be a massive problem for a small company, but action is rarely taken.

woman sat at her desk

Underperforming: Workers who are regularly absent are often lacking motivation

Absenteeism cost businesses more than £13bn in 2007, says the Confederation of British Industry.

Yet experts believe that many SMEs shy away from dealing with frequent short term absences, either because they may not have a personnel department to deal with problems or fear getting caught up in costly legal battles.

So how can firms reduce staff absenteeism and protect their business? Kate Russell runs Russell HR Consulting, which advises firms on staff absenteeism.

The first step, says Kate, 49, from Stratford, east London, is to handle the recruitment process correctly.

'It is important that employers check out the details of prospective members of staff, including paying attention to their attendance record, which is something many bosses fail to do,' she says.

'We would advise putting in a health questionnaire or asking for a medical.' But it is important to tackle workplace absenteeism head-on.

'If people start to take time off, employers must find out why,' says Russell.

'Holding back-to-work meetings when employees return after time off ill can help highlight any problems, whether emotional or physical.' John Langridge, 57, runs the Green Pastures Christian nursing home in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Several years ago, absenteeism was a significant problem for the business, with staff missing 1,100 shifts a year.

After consulting Kate, John put in places measures to track staff absence. He also brought in back-to-work meetings and looked at ways to help staff who were genuinely struggling, for example, by reducing their hours.

Absenteeism fell dramatically and accounted for fewer than 500 shifts last year.

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