The Employee Absence Management - Essay Example

Managing Personal and human resources Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Managing employees’ absence Introduction It is evident that the issue of employee absence is a major challenge facing organizations around the world. This phenomenon has received increased attention by wide alley scholars in diverse fields of academia. This has generated enormous literature in this discourse with estimates pointing to the fact that the potential working time which is often lost as a result of the unscheduled absence ranges from around 2 to 4% (Bridges & Mumford, 2000, p. 2). In addition, increasing literature has been focused in exploring the causes of employee absence, its impacts on the particular impacts of this trend as well as the mechanisms which employers can implement with the aim of managing employee absence in the contemporary organizations. The importance of this discussion is founded on the fact that employee absence is a complex and multi-causal phenomenon. Thus, its management necessitates profound consideration of all the probable causes aimed at the establishment of relevant and targeted interventions, strategies and policies. Therefore, the measurement of employee absence is an integral step in understanding its extent, causes and patterns geared towards developing appropriate ways to manage its among the contemporary organizations in different regions of the globe (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, 2007, p. 2). Therefore, this paper is a profound effort of assessing the different ways which employers can put into utility with the sole aim of managing employee absence in the modern organizations. This will go a long way in minimizing the extensive costs credited to employee absence in different organizations which are estimated to be in the excess of £13.2 in the UK economy according to the published CIPD survey (cited in Robson et. al., 2007, p. 1). This survey also indicated that the cost per employee as a result of absence was at £598 (£680 average in public sector). Nonetheless, these latter figures do not reflect on the less tangible costs which are attributed to employee absenteeism, for instance, the time consumed during the recruitment and training of replacements, effects on the performance of the colleagues and managers as well as the potential minimization of quantity and quality of the organizational output which can pose detrimental impacts on the institutions. All these facts point to the fact that there is massive importance or the usefulness of discussing the management of employee absence in the contemporary organizations (Robson et. al., 2007, p. 1). Ways in which contemporary organizations can manage employee absence Johnson et. al., (cited in Business teacher Website, 2011, p. 1) cited that successful employee management strategies instigate with the cognition of the fact that something can actually be done to minimize absenteeism. Different approaches have been floated with the aim of addressing the phenomenon of employee absence in the modern organizations. It is imperative to note that there is variance in the appropriateness and relevance of these mechanisms which calls to the necessity of taking a holistic approach in management of employee absence. The above fact is supported in the Business teacher Website (2011, p. 1) where it is determined that managers in different organizations ought to recognize the fact that there is no ‘one-size-fits all resolution which is appropriate for all the institutions. This is founded on the fact that each organization is peculiar and thus employee absence management strategies ought to be customized to suit specific working environments. Thus, employers can use a synergy of approaches in addressing the above impediment which has been evidenced to pose diabolical impacts on the organization as well as the economy at the national level. Some of these mechanisms are analyzed in the following section. Promotion of an attendance oriented culture Majority of the contemporary organizations have been cited of making minimal efforts in fostering an organizational culture which encourages employee attendance. This has the extensive impact of prompting the employees to exhibit absenteeism from the workplace, mostly in the public institutions. Rhodes and Steers (cited in Business teacher Website, 2011, p. 1) advanced two generic strategies which can be put into place aimed at creating an environment which is highly conducive in enhancing attendance. Firstly, organizational effort can be directed towards creating a working environment which is more inviting in nature, mostly the physical environment. Secondly, institutions can focus their attention towards creating a work culture at the organizational level which fosters attendance as opposed to absence. However, the analysis in this section will focus on the latter approach. Hayday (2006, p. 3) determined that the tendency of organizational acceptance of absence as being inevitable culminates in a culture of poor attendance at the organizational level. As a result, the employees might feel absence as a rationale for entitlement for extra leave and thus, this trend can be perceived as being uncontrollable under this culture. Subsequently, it is fundamental mandate of the managers as well as other leaders in the organization to clearly communicate the expectations of the organization in regard to the attendance of the employees. This can be done during the recruitment and training processes of new employees in the organization. In addition, the importance of constant attendance as well as consequences of unjustified absence ought to be constantly communicated to the older employees in the course of their re-training programs. This approach can go a long way in fostering the attendance of the employees both in the short and long-term. In addition, the senior managers ought to be good role models to the junior employees on matters related to attendance. This is whereby they ought to exhibit minimal absenteeism from the workplace which dissuades the other employees under their jurisdiction from constant absenteeism. Both of these approaches are integral in creating an attendance oriented culture at the organizational level which is integral in managing employee absence among the contemporary organizations. Development of employee incentive programmes The payment of incentives to the employees has been cited as being vital in lessening the responsibility of the line managers to encourage good attendance among the employees as well as being a robust tool in effectively dealing with poor attendance or absence in the workforce (Department for Work and Pensions, 2010, p. 25). These incentives can range from rewards and recognitions of individual or group performance in the organization. This is whereby the good performance of the individuals or teams in an organization is recognized and rewarded in the organization above the normal remuneration packages. This goes a long way in motivating better performance among the employees as well as fostering healthy competition in increasing both individual and collective output. Based on the fact that exemplary performance can primarily be achieved through constant attendance in the workplace by these individuals and groups, rewarding the eventual performance is key in encouraging attendance and discouraging absence among the poor performers. This is a prudent initiative which can be undertaken by diverse organization in the management of employee absence. However, it is imperative for different organizations to recognize the fact that different employee respond differently to diverse kinds of incentives. This is based on the fact that although most of the employees might extensively respond to financial incentives, there are some who are bound to respond indifferently to these incentives and portray greater preference to other non-monetary incentives, for instance, awards on their efforts or promotion in their workplaces which does not necessarily have to be accompanied by hefty increases in remuneration. The cognition of these incentive dynamics is bound to trigger tailoring diverse incentive programmes which suit the preferences of different category of employees in contemporary organizations which can be feasible in managing their absence trends. Ensuring flexible working conditions The advocacy for flexible working conditions among the employees has increased in the recent decades. This is founded on the fact that majority of the employees in various organizations have obligations to care for children or elderly relatives. These responsibilities are often cited as being frequent causes of absence among the employees. In this case, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2012, p. 1) determined that in a scenario where some employees are finding it problematic to manage their work and home responsibilities, it is always imperative to consider the introduction of flexible working condition. Against this backdrop, the introduction of family-friendly initiatives by contemporary organizations could be an effective way of reducing employee absence. This might insinuate the provision of more flexible working hours, time off for school events as well as childcare facilities which might be integral in helping the employees to be in a position to hit a balance between their work in the organizations and their personal lives. Training of the employees Many scholars, for instance, Sloman (2003) and Salas and Cannon-Bowers (2001) have pointed to the fact that there has been a long held perception that the investment of various organizations in training and development is beneficial to both the organization as well as to the workforce. This explains the phenomenon whereby majority of the contemporary organizations have some sought of training in their programs. This is often aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills among the employees. On the other hand, it is an apparent fact that most of the organizations are confronted by the challenge of non-health related absence which is often related to conflicts at the organizational level (Black & Frost, 2011, p. 48). This is because most employees might be absent from their workplaces as a result of conflicts with their managers or other colleagues. This absence can emanate from constant harassment and victimization which can oblige the victimized employees to give any reason to be out of the workplace based on the fact that these continued conflicts are a source of stress and depression. As a result, different organizations in the contemporary world ought to invest increased funds in training the employees on various aspects of dispute resolution through conflict management trainings. This is key in providing the employees with the relevant skills and knowledge in solving the conflicts which can arise in the workplaces as thus promote positive coexistence in these organizations. As a result, this will have the gradual impact of minimizing the rate of conflicts in the organization and create a conducive working environment for all the employees. Consequently, limited number of employees are bound to be absent from work as a result of conflict related causes which is imperative in employee absence management. All the above ways can play an integral role in managing employee absence among different organizations. Nonetheless, despite the applicability of most of these mechanisms across all the organizations, different institutions ought to choose and implement the ways which suit their unique work environment in order to increase the chances of effectiveness in employee absence management. Conclusion The above analysis has evidenced the fact that the issue of employee absence is a major challenge facing organizations around the world. This calls for the implementation of different mechanism which can be central in managing this phenomenon. Diverse ways of employee absence management have been explored in the preceding sections. These are promotion of an attendance oriented culture, development of employee incentive programmes, ensuring flexible working conditions as well as training of the employees. References Black, DC., & Frost, D., 2011, Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence, The Stationery Office Limited, Norwich. Bridges, S., & Mumford, K., 2000, ‘Absenteeism in the UK: A comparison across genders’, retrieved 26th February, 2013, < http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~kam9/documents/absentuk.PDF>. Business teacher Website, 2011, ‘Organizational Behaviour (Absenteeism)’, retrieved 26th February, 2013, < http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-employment-essays/organizational-behaviour-absenteeism.php>. Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, 2007, ‘Measuring, Reporting and Costing Absence’, retrieved 26th February, 2013, < http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3A208F80-3484-4CE7-B8DD-907FFE660850/0/Wellbeing_sample_chapter_02.pdf.%20S%C3%B3tt%20%C3%BEann%2012>. Department for Work and Pensions, 2010, Managing attendance and employee turnover, ACAS Publications, London. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills , 2012, ‘Employee absence as a conduct issue’, retrieved 26th February, 2013, < http://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/employee-absence-conduct-issue>. Hayday, S., 2006, ‘Managing Absence Effectively’, retrieved 26th February, 2013, . Robson, F., 2007, ‘Absence in the public sector: Are managers managing?’, retrieved 22nd February, 2013 < http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/1494/1/Absence%20in%20the%20public%20sector-%20Are%20managers%20managing.pdf>. Salas, E. & Cannon-Bowers, JA., 2001, ‘The Science of Training: A Decade of Progress’, Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 52, pp. 471-499. Sloman, M., 2003, Training in the age of the learner, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London, U.K. . Read More