Managing People and Utilizing Absence Management Solutions - Essay Example

? [Absence Management] Absence Management The absence and especially the frequent absence of employees is a huge quandary, any organization suffers from in terms of financial loss to business. There are numerous reasons why the employees seek leaves it could be a maternity leave, sickness, lateness, educational leave or a sudden accident like death or even birth. Such leaves and absentees result in huge loss to the organization and to maintain a pleasant environment connected to absence management today many organizations are taking important measures to keep the employee record straight and with good attendance (Armstrong, 2012, p. 246-250). In this scenario, an important element is to figure out during what time there is more record of absence, since it could be due to more excessive working hours, no offs per week, working extra hours, more work and less encouragement causing employees to feel the motivated and demoralized. It is important for the organization to assess the situation and design strategies to bring back the presence of its employees on a daily basis. And this also brings a lot of responsibility and looks upon the efficiency of the HR human resource management to skillfully design ways to encourage employees to come to work on time daily and be more productive for themselves and the company (Preece, 2010). A few interesting trends that follow absence in employees are as follows: When there is an air of downsizing in any company, related to its economic instability and productivity stress (McPheat, 2011). Surprisingly absentees are more common in youngsters than older employees. Analysis on a weekly basis there is absence mostly on Fridays and Mondays. Earlier and even organizations are now following the Draconian Policies that just push away the employees and burden them psychologically. Instead if they understand the employee’s needs and follow a flexible off time from work schedule, including sick leaves, casual leaves, vacation such can be very helpful in the reduction of unscheduled days off (cipd.co.uk, 2013). According to a few HR Experts, they say “If a Company fails to give their workers a sense of their “Importance and Value to the Organization” such results in less motivation and dedication resulting in absence (Baker-McClearn et al., 2010)” Reputed organization consists of many bases in which management is the primary function at all. Without a tremendously functioning management, no organization can acquire an eminent position. Therefore, management requires several competent and credible employees to attain a good position. As we find many organizations undoing and the critical problem behind their failure is the absence management (Preece, 2010). Absence management happens mostly due to sickness, unprofessional and immoral employees, and leniency in the policies. The foremost is the lenient policy gives an extra margin to recruits by which they get fearless of being off. Another chief reason of destabilized management highlights lack in the proficiency of the HR team brings immature employees into the company. What can be the effective approaches in the transformation of absence Management? In every state we find a military department as the most powerful and well being, functioning properly and accurately. The prime reason behind their success indicates proper training, maintenance of discipline, and the methodology in each act. They do the entire task with complete dedication without losing concentration on their work. This is the key which every organization has to grasp and implement it on employees before giving permit for the job. Therefore, training criteria must be created firm and even tougher than the actual job so it evidently determines the compatible employee. It also enables the organization to accurately evaluate the tendency of personnel rather than to judge credibility during ongoing job. Thus, it is the best approach in reckoning employees practically rather than to do blind trust on employees at the time of interview only because of their facial expression and statement (northumberland.gov.uk, 2012). The second approach in deterioration of absence management should be a change in policy by an increase in salaries, allotting more facilities for best employee on an annual basis. These dynamic policies can obviously encourage the workers and divert all their priority to job which would result in efficiency of employees and ultimately in the success of the company. Co-operative and supportive head and seniors play an effective role in making juniors confident and industrious. They are the role model for them which can easily inject the enthusiasm by some motivational speech and true appreciation. These appreciations strengthen employees towards their work and start assuming themselves as a family company. These feelings are as essential as the revenue of the company because the profit is directly proportional to the dedication of the workers who could lift up the company by their dedication or fall off by dampen (Bolton & Hughes, 2002). Now days, every business recognizes the associated costs and drawbacks which their business could face of their employees are involved in high levels of employee absence. Simultaneously, mangers are found, to be very much unpredictable about the intensity and the nature of the problem they are facing. Absence can be classified as long-term such as continuing absence and the second form is short-term or interim absence. The growth of any association is dependent on efficient management of their assets and the absence rate of employees. There are many ways out to organize employee’s absence rate, some of them constitutes of determining properly administered monitoring leave, and define clear strategies for leaves and level of absence. The majority of administrators has recognized and they are of the opinion that tackling with employees nonattendance, late or interim absence issues are most difficult and a very sensitive area which needs intense attention. With the advancement of technology new absent management tools rediscovered which can be customized to present a review of absence and will also help in managing them (Armstrong, 2012, p. 250-256). In addition, observing and recording absence correctly need an uninterrupted and synchronized effort by managers. Managers should keep a record of every nonattendance of each individual reporting to them. Truthful or precise records are the only good way to recognize when and where problems are actually taking place; they would also be responsible for a historical record for shaping patterns of absence for individual employees and subdivisions. This information is vital if the absence is to be managed effectively and fairly (Woods et al., 2012, p. 199-203). To make sure about all employees are attentive of the need to enlighten their subdivision of any sickness absence, it is essentially important to fully illuminate the departmental requirements All staff have a responsibility, under their agreement of employment and / or under the terms of the sickness, to contact their department as early as conceivable on the first day of absence; and no later than the standard commencement of work or shift switch time. This is significant as unconventional measures, to ensure that all necessary work is covered, which have to be put into place (Preece, 2010). Research has depicted that long-term absence is in general handling the most effective or successful through early intermediations and measures. The longer the phase of absence, it becomes difficult and less probable that the worker or employee is eventually to come again to the job. Even though it is obvious that frequent long-term absence is a result of authentic medical reason and the correct nature and extent of the incident. Moreover it can be a situation where probable suggestions of a specified medical situation may in observance or it is complicated to conclude before time. Whereas short-term nonattendance is more towards reliability (that employee would not run), but it also may cause some problem such as if an employee wants a short-term leave and at the same time he/she is the only one who is an expert in the particular field. Hence it is significant that, in situations of long-term nonappearance, it is required to execute premature steps to discover the intensity and the reason of the nonexistence. Additionally it is also essential to recognize what realistic assistance could be provided to make possible the employee’s arrival to job successfully (Baker-McClearn et al., 2010, p. 311–328). Now let’s explore what are the benefits and drawback of absence management. Companies today are working very hard to manage the problem of absence and there are various benefits that they get too if they plan their policies well, although employers find it quite hard to find benefits out of absence but they should understand that the more they keep rules flexible for the employees the lesser would be issues of absence (Armstrong, 2012). We shall discuss the benefits first: The benefits of alternative ways organizations make regarding “Absence” of employees When a company has already arranged opportunities to the employees for planned absence, it gives an optimistic meaning to them since it makes them feel valued and they reciprocate well in terms of loyalty and working effortlessly when need arise (Armstrong, 2012). It provides infrastructure chances for different representatives permitting them to show their capacities in increasingly senior positions (Preece, 2010). When a company gives relief in terms of leaves to the employees in emergencies the productivity afterwards was seen immensely since the employees had more time to sort things out and less time to think about their own personal or domestic problems which too were important to be addressed (Moss, 2010). Other employees were provided better positions for senior posts that were less absent from work this proved as a motivation for the ones who practiced absence frequently. Absence of employees usually requires managers to think again the people they assigned to various tasks and this change in labor resources often led to more productive business (Preece, 2010). Drawbacks of alternative ways organizations make regarding “Absence” of employees Companies face financial loss due to the absence with employees when they took off as sick leaves (McPheat, 2011). When a replacement is keeping the time and money that is wasted to educate him is another drawback an organization faces (Armstrong, 2012). Sick leaves are often the most costly for the organization since it includes a lot of medical bills to be paid through insurance (northumberland.gov.uk, 2012). There is definitely a negative impact on the system due to absence, if not properly managed it could be considered as an abuse of the working system (Armstrong, 2012). We have visibly seen the benefits of these approaches. There is indeed much effectiveness lies in it without any suspicion as many flourished organizations work according to it. If we analyze it one might find some flaws in those as it raises the company’s cost, much free hand is given to employees and company consciously adopting a lenient attitude but however this is not the case. Yes, we spend more money on employees but this is a short term expenditure for a long-term benefit. Once the employees start working enthusiastically for the sake of more money so they cannot be stopped in any case and they would keep them busy in order to get more appreciation and allowance. This lure eventually takes the company above all companies. Co-operative attitude to employees does not mean giving forbearing but to talk humbly and guide morally rather than to underestimate their credibility or to censure. If they do something wrong which cannot be forgiven so the option of expel is always there without any compassion (Banfield & Kay, 2012). However, these are the elementary motives for cutthroat management or employees. If any company adopts these approaches, then it will never find itself in an awful position. All the companies must be aware of the fact that everything in this world is the emulation of another. So, we should not feel humiliating in adopting other policies which are more beneficial (Evans et al., 2002). According to the 2011 CBI absence analysis the average employee is absent from work for 6.5 days a year. This figure varies from one place to another .To evaluate the exact cost of absence in your organization see how things work when someone is not there for work. Hence the criterion of absentee is different from another. These diversities are from organization to organization because they are dominated not just by intensity of illness, but also by management attitude, policy, and some other internal politics (Lipsitz, 2011). These reasons generally specify numerous prevalent features: Employees get sick due to lots of work saddle and are mostly common in inexperienced workers. Office workers have high levels of anxiety related to work. Much absence is found in manual workers because they not only tired their brain but body to which resulted in illness. Ratio of absence increase where employees do overtime on a regular basis. Absence occurs more in big organizations because it is less likely to be observed (Dewe et al., 2010). The Psychological Contract exemplifies the commitment, privileges, and rewards etc. that employees believe it to be the fundamental right which can only be owned by them. ‘The Psychological Contract' is a significant phase of absence management relatively to employee’s psychology. If employees meet the traits of psychological contracts like admiration, kindness, conviction, understanding, justice, independence in the organization so they will definitely not be suffered by any anxiety or dissatisfaction which cause employee’s disconnection from the job. We can evidently see the psychological contract in the feelings of employees as it refers to the association between an employer and its employees; how they treat each other and follow each other commands. Employee’s engagement and assiduous effort to the job depend on how they are being treated by other employees. If they perceived bitterness from other staff they put the same in their job and if warmth is shown to them so nothing dissatisfaction would be shown in their work (James, 2006). The most common model which is used for absence management is steen and rhodes diagnostics model according to which one of the best ways of get employee’s confidence back is to take steps to engage employees in your organization: Land them onto the right path where can they look for the reward at the end. Take them into confidence by giving them the authority to suggest the crucial decision for the organization. Give them medium to contribute their views and concerns. Show them respect and applause. Ensure them of no discrimination happens in this organization. Instantly inform the new employ about any incentive format and encourage them to acquire the required standards quickly (Chojnacki, 2008). When employees are absent from their workplace this can be a direct and indirect loss to the company financially. To carry on with business productively it is important to devise procedures that may help reduce the issues of absence and inculcate the feeling of value and responsibility in the employees’ attitude that makes them conscious of their work needs and requirements and be less absent from work hence working for the betterment of themselves as an individual and organization. A key constituent in maintaining a business is keeping a vigilant eye on such absence by effectively monitoring and measuring it (McPheat, 2011). Moreover utilizing absence management solutions provide a productive, secure and trustworthy way to record staff absences. Hence in an association, it is crucial to devise a precise and clear policy for better competence and growth. The success or failure of any absence management procedure is entirely dependent on the people implementing it, which are more precisely the line managers. They have to be well educated under various administration training programs and courses on this facet. It is an undeniable fact the absence cannot be prevented but it can be reduced and dealt with by applying appropriate policies and procedures. References Armstrong, M., 2012. Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. New York: Kogan Page Publishers. Baker-McClearn, D., Greasley, K., Dale, J. & Griffith, F., 2010. Absence management and presenteeism: the pressures on employees to attend work and the impact of attendance on performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 20(3), p.311–328. Banfield, P. & Kay, R., 2012. Introduction to Human Resource Management. New York: Oxford University Press. Bolton, T. & Hughes, S., 2002. Absence Management. New York: SPIRO Press. Chojnacki, A., 2008. Absence special: models for managing absence - that's the way to do it. 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