Absenteeism in the Workplace - Essay Example

Absenteeism in the Workplace Absenteeism or low attendance at work place is accounted as one of the most persistent obstacles to productivity, profitability and competitiveness. All over the globe, organizations in all spheres face this common problem which results in delayed deliveries unsatisfied customers and a decline in employee morale. This is a global phenomenon; however there is no consistent definition for absenteeism. In a general context absenteeism covers non-attendance at work where workattendance is scheduled.

This includes sickness absence leave; various special leaves, such as bereavement leave; and may also include time lost through industrial disputes.Workplace attendance and absenteeism are crucial to the industry oriented society.There is loss not only in terms of productivity and economy, but also in terms of credibility and confidence of the employees. Excessive absenteeism also places additional pressure on employers and workers especially at critically important times. The causes for absenteeism are varied and are much dependent on the person taking leave.

They can vary from taking off for illness when in reality they are not ill at all to excuses like friend's accident, death in family etc. There have been incidents where doctors have not only been pleaded with, but also abused and threatened to sign false medical certificates.Apart from illness, commuting distance, work environment in general, rapport with colleagues all contribute to increasing number of office leaves. The human resource department and the management of various organizations continually face this daunting task of not only controlling absenteeism but also eradicating it from their work place.

From flexible leave policies to motivational initiatives, organizations leave no stone unturned to make sure that attendance runs high in their offices. By implementing some extremely simple concepts and basic principles, this problem can be taken care of to a great extent.Initiatives like high attendance awards; lucrative holiday schemes etc. may go a long way in encouraging employees to come to office. Maintaining transparency at work place, encouraging maximum interaction and communication with the employees also prompts them to come to office.

If the management is well trained to fore see absenteeism cost and control it, via various means, the loss which an organization may incur due to absenteeism may also come down considerably.Acute attention and scrutiny of health background and general attitude of the candidate at the time of recruitment can also effectively contribute in bringing down absenteeism in offices.Resources:http://humanresources.about.comhttp://www.bized.ac.uk/current/mind/2003_4/190404.htmhttp://www.racp.edu.au/afom/absenteeism.pdf