What is absenteeism?

Absenteeism is when an employee consistently doesn’t come to work without having a good reason or without planning. Though there should be an expectation that every employee will have occasional unplanned absences, no employee should be absent from work regularly.

When absenteeism is seen with an employee, the entire office is affected. In general, when someone is away from the office, it can mean that certain projects either do not get done on time or slow down.

Another issue that can happen is when there are certain daily duties that the absent employee does which will have to be picked up by others. This means that others will have to take time out of their schedules to do these tasks and again, projects can be delayed.

Absenteeism can be a problem with any type of unplanned absence. For example, some workers might have to call in sick at the last minute meaning nothing has been planned in terms of covering that person’s work. Though this is a legitimate absence, it can become a problem when it happens a lot.

Another example of this is when a worker is constantly coming into the office late or leaving early. When this happens, work can be delayed as the absence was unplanned, meaning their colleagues are unsure how to proceed.

For example, if a worker hasn’t arrived yet for work and there was an informal meeting called to discuss a project they are a part of, their colleagues will have to wait to see if they are coming or proceed and catch them up later. Either situation can cause colleagues to become frustrated and now instead of only having an issue with absenteeism , you might also have an issue with employee morale.

Before we get into some of the effects of absenteeism, let’s take a look at some of the causes.

Causes of absenteeism

When looking at possible causes of absenteeism we have to remember that none of these causes are “bad”; it is not the cause of the absence but rather the frequency in which they occur. That being said, it is important to note which causes are common to chronic absenteeism.

• Minor illness: though you cannot do anything about people catching colds, when an employee is calling in sick a lot this can cause issues.
• Workplace bullying or harassment: if there are interpersonal issues within the office, workers might start avoiding the office. If you suspect this might be an issue, it is prudent to tackle this issue as soon as possible. 
• Mental health: when employees are feeling stressed or depressed they might be more apt to take days off without notice.
• Family issues: when a child or parent is sick, workers might be required to take time off. If this becomes a recurring problem, then you might have an absentee issue.
• Commuting problems: if your workers are commuting, they might be late or away from the office due to this.
• Team and management issue: if a worker is having a lot of negative interactions with other team members or another manager, this may cause them to take some time off. These issues should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid further absenteeism problems.

Related: How to Identify and Prevent Workplace Bullying

The above examples are different reasons why people might suddenly take days off and should be looked into if a particular worker is constantly away from the office.

How does absenteeism affect the workplace?

When there is an employee is constantly absent, it can difficult for their colleagues and the organization as a whole. The following are a few ways chronic absenteeism can negatively affect the workplace.

• Decreased productivity. This is because the worker is not holding up their end of the work causing things to be delayed.
• Poor quality of work. When you are away from the office a lot it is hard to do the best work as you are constantly rushing to get things done. This can happen to colleagues who collaborate with the absent employee as they are also forced to rush certain aspects of their work.
• Financial loss. Not only does the employee lose some of their money when they are absent a lot, but the company itself can also suffer. An example of this would be in a sales department where workers have to be present to make the sale. Without the appropriate amount of sales due to absenteeism, the organization can face financial loss.
• Decreased employee motivation. Having an employee that is constantly absent can cause the morale of the other employees to go down. It can be hard to stay motivated when someone is constantly absent as it might seem that they are getting special treatment, especially if there are no consequences.

When absenteeism has gotten to the point of affecting the organization, it is time to do something about it. Keep reading to learn more about preventing absenteeism. 

How to handle chronic absenteeism

When dealing with chronic absenteeism, try implementing some of these methods:

• Increase workplace flexibility. If workers can dictate their hours, for example, they might be less prone to needing time off for child or parent care. Also, allowing your staff to work remotely can help prevent absenteeism.
• Keep morale and motivation high. If you see that staff are having morale issues, see if you can figure out the cause. You might need to handle an interpersonal conflict among staff before you can fix the problem. By being aware of how the staff is feeling about work, you might be able to work on a solution before it becomes an issue.
• Recognize and reward attendance. When staff members are consistently in attendance or coming in early/staying late, make sure you publicly recognize them for their dedication. Perhaps get them a coffee card for all the “late hours” they are working.
• Lead by example. If employees see you or other managers constantly having time off or taking half days, they will not be motivated to work regular hours either. Being a good example of the type of employee you want on your team is an easy way of preventing absenteeism.
• Reach out to struggling employees. If you see an employee that is struggling with being at work, talk to them to see if anything is going on in their personal lives that are making it difficult to get to work. Perhaps, they are having a mental health issue like depression or anxiety which is making it hard to participate in normal activities. You might be able to offer the employee help, rather than going straight to disciplinary action.
• Conduct return to work interviews. For employees who have had some significant time off, like parental leave, make sure to check in with them as soon as they return to the office. It can be difficult to come back to work after a long time away, so they might just need some time to get back in the swing of things.
• Take disciplinary action. If after all your hard work you still do not have a good reason for the employee to be absent or the absenteeism continues despite the employee knowing that there is an issue, then it is time to take action. You might find that this is the only solution and this action will show the rest of the staff that absenteeism is going to be taken seriously.

Related: Progressive Discipline: Verbal and Written Warnings

These prevention methods can be extremely helpful when dealing with absenteeism and may have a positive effect on your entire staff.

Absenteeism can be a drain on your staff and resources. If you are finding that an employee seems to be absent a lot, it is good to address the issue right away to avoid the problem spreading.