by lstephens

Created on: February 13, 2007   Last Updated: April 11, 2007

It is inevitable that all employers will at some stage experience some degree of absence from their staff."Absenteeism varies widely between employers: the best average just 4.6 days per employee, while the worst lose an average of 10 days per employee." (Miriam Hils-Cosgrove, 2001.)The causes of absence

The causes of absence have been analysed by Huczynski and Fitzpatrick (1989) under three headings: job situation factors, personal factors and attendance factors' (Armstrong M, 2003.)

Job Situation factors could include stress, poor management, working conditions, frequent job transfers and job repetitiveness.Personal factors could include age, gender and personality,

Some people are absence prone (studies have shown that between 5-10% of workers account for about half the total absence while a few are never absent at all.'(Armstrong, 2003.)

Attendance factors such sick pay schemes can increase absenteeism and set work groups can affect attendance due to clashes of personality.

Maintaining a positive working environment

When developing the absence control strategy it is important to consider factors such as the safety of the workplace, the aesthetics of the workplace, adequate facilities, social contact, reasonable working hours/breaks and job design.

This links very closely to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs,

Maslow devised a theory of human nature that proposed that everyone is motivated to satisfy a series of instinctual needs... Physiological... Safety and security Social and belongingesteem and self-actualisation needs.' (I Beardwell, 2001.)

Maslow believed that once all these needs had been fulfilled they no longer motivate individuals. This is important to take into consideration when developing the absence control strategy to assess whether the working environment at Steamy Windows' fulfils employees needs.

The role of the Line Manager

It is the line manager's responsibility to ensure that the company's absence policies and procedures are followed by their staff. It has recently been popular to devolve responsibility for people to the line' (employment studies, 1997.) They are responsible for overseeing the reporting of any form of absence and the approval of absence requests. It would be a key advantage to keep accurate records of all staff absences, together with reasoning. This helps to see any patterns in absence arising within their department. All this data should be overseen by the HR manager at regular intervals to question whether any procedures need to be carried out.

Trigger Points and Framework for management of absence

Trigger points at each stage of absence/ patterns of absence emerging should be put in place and picked up upon by the HR manager and should be followed up by appropriate interviews to identify any problems. The Bradford factor is an appropriate devise of measuring absence to help decide when trigger points are necessary (see figure 1.) Return to work interviews will really emphasise the firms view on the importance of good attendance and the welfare of their employees. Line managers should be appropriately trained in the process of these interviews making clear the importance of asking the necessary questions to see if there are any problems. Emphasis should be made on the importance of carrying out the interview as soon as the employee returns to work. These interviews are also of importance to ensure the employee if briefed as to what they have missed during their absence and to let them know which jobs are now priorities to complete. Linking persistent offenders to the disciplinary process (if necessary/appropriate) or perhaps referred to a company doctor (if appropriate/both.)

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