The underlying principle of any HR professional’s approach towards absence management is the determination to address employee absence before it becomes a more serious issue.
Every company has its policies on absence and procedures. However, to ensure that they are effective to their capability, they must be clearly communicated to managers and employees alike, and the management and HR proactively and effectively apply these policies and procedures.
Absenteeism may indicate an absence of motivation among employees. Or that they are feeling overwhelmed. It could be a problem in a particular division or line of management or an ongoing condition that hasn’t been recognized. Whatever the reason, the business leader must be able to handle absences effectively and with compassion.
The UK is facing increasing inflation and soaring energy costs, which means that the stress people feel every day isn’t going to ease as a result of the apex disease. Employers are becoming aware of the reality that their mental well-being could have a significant influence on the ability of employees to complete their tasks efficiently and effectively, like physical health. Mental health concerns are harder to detect than physical health issues, which is why the time has never been better essential for HR professionals to be able to recognize the signs of a problem and recognize any potential issues at the earliest possible time.
The financial consequences of absences by employees
Monitoring absence rates provides managers with an insight into employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall health. The cost of absences, however, is often ignored. The research conducted by the CIPD suggests that the average expense per worker is about PS522; with absenteeism rates at their highest within ten years, an effective approach to managing absences is crucial in the coming years.
Direct costs associated with absences are payment of salary for the employee who is absent in addition to any overtime expenses incurred by colleagues in order to fulfill their responsibilities or working additional hours and loss of output for the business. Indirect costs are something to be considered as well, like the hiring of temporary workers, the training and support of employees in other departments, the increased pressure on the entire team by the increased workload, and the time it takes employees to be able to be efficient.
All of these factors add up; therefore, being able to recognize a rise in absenteeism and finding the root of the issue before it turns into a bigger and eventually more costly problem is essential.
The importance of HR software to manage absence management
HR software, such as Natural HR no, not only allows for easier recording of absences and other absences but also permits absentee data to be tracked and compared externally and internally, aiding in understanding the causes behind them and discovering the underlying patterns.
HR technology will ensure that employees are adhering to best practices, using the aid of integrated tools like the Bradford Factor that help managers keep track of absence rates across the entire team and also assess their company’s absence rates against benchmarks set by external sources. Reports will then indicate those who have reached a threshold that triggers them and also indicate the need for further discussions to be conducted to determine if more support is needed and ways in which absence levels can be reduced. The workflows that are predetermined can guide the appropriate employees on the subsequent steps necessary to make sure they’re performing the correct task at the proper time.
HR software also aids in the ability to control absences in relation to staffing strategies and planning. This information helps managers plan for the likelihood of being absent more frequently so that they can make sure they have the appropriate skills in order to minimize additional expenses for the company as well as reduce potential reductions in output for business.