CURB YOUR ABSENTEEISM
By The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council
Friday, February 6, 2009
Absenteeism is a difficult workplace issue to deal with, particularly in the food and beverage industry where an absent employee’s responsibilities must be covered.
With few exceptions, staff members will become ill from time to time. What complicates the matter is the abuse of sick leave policies by workers who are stressed out, disengaged or having problems with colleagues or managers. Attempting to sort out the genuine absences from the abuses can cause a culture of mistrust if not handled properly as staff may feel their every sneeze is scrutinized. Through open communication about frequent absences and by reducing factors that contribute to policy abuses, you can decrease the number of shifts missed by your employees.
Absenteeism is the failure of a staff member to report for a scheduled shift. And it can be innocent or culpable. Innocent absenteeism results from factors an employee cannot control, such as illness or injury. Culpable absenteeism is when an employee does not appear for work for reasons that are within their control, meaning they are not genuinely ill but choose not to come in. This is often a sign of an employee engagement problem and needs to be addressed immediately and carefully to ensure the root problem is remedied. Causes of culpable absenteeism include boredom, lack of training or direction, managerial or co-worker conflicts, poor working conditions and stress. Personal problems may also play a role.
The impact of absenteeism is more than just the financial costs of lost productivity. Rescheduling shifts, reassigning and training replacement staff and overtime costs for replacement workers also consume resources. Staff who frequently call in sick often engender resentment in their co-workers who end up working extra shifts or bearing more responsibility. This may cause a snowball effect where other employees begin to miss shifts because they feel overworked or underappreciated.
If you notice repetitive absences from an individual, take immediate action. Book a time to discuss the situation and cover the following points as recommended by
go2 HR Society.
- Summarize the employee’s absences.
- Refer to the attendance policy and impact absences are having on your clients, guests and other team members. Explain the severity of the problem.
- Remember to request any necessary documentation, such as a doctor’s note, to appropriately record the reason for the absence.
- Get the employee to accept the information you are presenting; In other words, that there is a problem and an immediate need for change.
- Listen to the employee’s side of the story. There may be personal problems preventing them from coming to work or arriving on time that may be resolved through listening and should be dealt with sensitively.
- Develop a plan to address the problem that works for both you and the employee. Record and sign-off on the plan so that future improvements or incidents can be dealt with little confusion and immediate action.
- Set a date and time by which you will be following up and looking for improvement.
- Explain you expect immediate change and failure to do so could result in disciplinary action.
If things improve after your discussion, acknowledge the efforts the employee has made and encourage them to keep it up. However, if after discussions regarding their absenteeism there is no change, you may choose to apply progressive disciplinary measures in an attempt to correct the behaviour. The discipline you apply should be consistent with that applied for any other performance-related concern. These steps might include an initial verbal warning, additional written warnings, suspension and, finally, dismissal.
While employees are responsible for their own attendance, management also plays a role in absenteeism and can take action to lessen it. While innocent absenteeism cannot be completely eliminated, educating your staff on healthy lifestyles and stress management, providing manageable workloads and ensuring a clean, comfortable and safe working environment will certainly reduce absences. Culpable absenteeism can be curbed by ensuring employees are motivated, engaged and feel respected. Communicate about whether they enjoy their tasks and if there are other responsibilities they would like to pursue. Make sure they have the tools and training they need to perform. Let them know they can speak with you about any interpersonal problems they may be having with supervisors or colleagues.
The more staff members are connected to your organization, the more they will care what happens if they are absent. Providing them with meaningful work and showing appreciation for their efforts will inspire them to do their best and make them feel they are an important part of your organization. The result: Confident employees who do not look for excuses to avoid work.
