Tackling Employee Absenteeism

In this episode, 🎙️ learn about the often-overlooked issue of employee absenteeism in the workplace. Absenteeism can have a significant impact on organizations, affecting:

📈 Productivity

👥 Team dynamics

💼 Organizational culture

But what exactly is absenteeism, and how does it manifest in various workplace settings? 🤔

Join me as I explore:

🔍 What is workplace absenteeism? ❓ 

🌱 Root causes of absenteeism. 🌪️

✅ Effective programs to reduce absenteeism. 🔄

By understanding these factors, employers can proactively address the underlying issues and create a supportive work environment that prioritizes employee well-being. ✨ 

Tune in to the 9 to 5 Wellness Show wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎧 

🔔 Subscribe to our podcast series for more episodes on employee wellness and productivity tips. 📲

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at info@aeshathair.com. You can learn more about our programs at: https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

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Transcript

  Welcome to the nine to five wellness podcast,  a show about corporate wellness solutions with innovators and forward thinking leaders who are at the forefront of the workplace wellness movement.  I'm your host Aesha Tahir. 

 Hello, everyone, and welcome to today's episode of 9 to 5 Wellness.  Today I want to talk about workplace absenteeism,  the reason it's important to talk about absenteeism at work. is because it impacts employee productivity 

and can affect team morale and overall business goals. So in this episode, We are going to talk about the impacts of absenteeism when left unaddressed. We'll also explore the causes of absenteeism and I'll be sharing some tips for reducing it in the workplace......

we're going to start with what is absenteeism, let's define it,  because you are probably familiar with the concept,  but you might not associate it with this term.  Simply put, workplace absenteeism is when an employee can't attend or stay at work according to schedule, regardless of the reason.  It's a pattern of absences from work without a legitimate reason.

Employee absences are common in the office environment as people miss work for various reasons and those could be illnesses vacation, commuting issues. 

 When these absences are planned, like when you take vacations, it can be something to look forward to for the employees.  Also companies benefit because you come back refreshed.  Infrequent planned absences are typically manageable by most companies, so it's not an issue.  But when absences are frequent and involve numerous employees. 

They negatively affect the work culture, especially when an employee misses work without finding a replacement.  Another common form of absenteeism is when a team member leaves the office before their shift is complete  and doesn't assign their responsibilities to a team member and does this without calling anyone to explain the situation.

Employee absences affect productivity levels and profit margins, but also negatively affect your company's culture. 

So you can see there are legitimate reasons When an employee may need an unscheduled day off work,  but there are also instances where these absences are intentional and habitual. In fact, I have a very interesting example of unscheduled day off without assigning duties for you guys.  I came across a study from the Workforce Institute and that study found that over 34 percent of U. S. employees.  Which is 27. 2 million employees, yeah, that's a big number, right there,  admitted they'd most likely call in sick, arrive late, or be less productive than normal during the final season of Game of Thrones. 

It was the same in the UK. Over there, they found 3. 1 million people either called in to work sick or arrived late the day after the Game of Thrones episode released.  I found this statistic to be so interesting.  Tell me in the comments or reviews if you think so too.  There are some days when your team members won't feel like going into work, and they may not have any more days off to use.

So they just say they are,  Whatever the truth of the matter is, the bottom line is that when people can't be counted on to show up to work on a given day, it can stop a company's progress in its tracks. Important phone calls. Or emails go unanswered, which can lead to clients feeling neglected  and tempted to take their business elsewhere. 

Coworkers can feel the burden of constantly having to try to cover for the chronically absent person. That can lead to errors  that can be troublesome for a company.  Let me give you a couple of examples here, like a poorly prepared earnings report, or to the well being of others sometimes, like a workplace accident.  Asking people to go beyond their scope is often putting the company in a precarious position. 

So let's talk about some of the reasons why your employees might call in sick. The first one is a legitimate reason, right, that they have fallen ill and they need to recover from illness.  Second most common reason is mental health of employees.  There is no denying that employees have to deal with stress at the workplace.

With increased employee absences, the employees who have to pick up the slack may have to face deeper mental health issues.  The problem is way more widespread than you realize. 19 percent of U. S. workers rate their mental health as either fair, or poor.  That's a huge percentage. Whether your employees suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses.  A wellness program that includes exercise,  stress management, and counseling can go a long way towards improving employee well being and reducing unplanned absences in the future.  Another reason for absenteeism, which you might not directly relate to this issue, is when employees are not appreciated and encouraged. Over 40 percent of employed Americans feel they had put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often.  In addition, business units with engaged employees are not only 17 percent more productive, they also have a reduced absenteeism rate of 41 percent. So if your organization is consistently recognizing employees when they're excelling,  there is a much better chance that your employees will remain productive and engaged.  I also want to highlight that absenteeism is caused by employee shortage or turnover, and this is how that plays out.  When employees are out of office often, other employees will likely have to complete extra work within tighter deadlines. Over time. This leads to jobs and tasks that aren't completed correctly  that can lead to further employee burnout at your company and absenteeism.  It's a major strain on managers.  They have to scramble to find replacement workers. And frequent absences can cause additional tension between management and employees.

The best solution here would be to lay out your employee attendance policy to all employees and set the expectations that frequent unplanned absences are not allowed. 

So you can see when employees don't show up for work, it costs your organization money in many ways. There is the administrative costs of managing the absence. And of replacing that absent employee for the day with a temporary worker.  It further affects the employee turnover and company culture. 

Introducing employee wellness programs can help workers take charge of their personal well being, whether it's their physical fitness, nutrition, sleep, or stress levels.

Over time, as employees well being improves, , absenteeism decreases as employees remain healthy for work. That's what organizations need to do to boost productivity and curtail health care costs.  A well rounded, well rounded, Employee wellness program that helps employees to manage stress inside and outside of the workplace may have the biggest impact on absenteeism. 

Offering classes and meditation. and mindfulness within your company,  as well as adding workshops, teaching healthy ways to manage stress can help to reduce employee absenteeism.  So if you are ready to reduce the cost of absenteeism and prioritize your employees well being, you can visit my website.

Aishataheer. com for more information on how I can help your organization. You can also contact me at info at Aishataheer. com, which is  my email address,  and I can't wait to help your team and organization cut the absenteeism costs. Thank you so much for listening to this episode today.  Talk to you guys next week!  

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