Absenteeism
Okay you've got a sore head. It was a late night and you
really didn't mean to have so many drinks. Worse, it's cold
and wet and blowing a gale out there, much different to your
warm, comfy bed. It's also Monday.
Then again, it could be the sun is shining brightly. It's
too nice a day to go to work and a relaxed breakfast, cup
of tea and then a bit of beach time is the order of the day.
By the way, it's Monday.
If you are really lucky it's a long weekend and to get that
trip away started earlier you decide to call into work and
describe yourself as under the weather. It's Friday.
So now you are set up for an easy paid-day off that doesn't
come off your annual leave and will give you that mental breather
most workers tend to need every now and then.
The trouble is that by taking an unnecessary day off you
can leave your colleagues back at the coalface in the lurch.
If you are part of a small team the work still needs to be
done and so your mates have got to pick up the load. If you
work as a manufacturer, or are in a company that needs to
deliver items on a schedule, your absence could mean them
missing the deadline.
It also makes life tough for shop owners those trying to
organise enough staff to cope with demands. A certain number
of people are rostered on to cope with the day to day running
and a sick person or two will throw that right out.
I recently had a friend bemoan the fact that two teenage
sisters had called in sick on one day - or rather got a mate
to report in - and this meant her eight-hour shift had to
be extended to 12 hours. It was a Saturday night and she and
her partner were supposed to be heading out. Tough luck for
them though.
In a more abstract form taking a sickie costs Australia and
New Zealand big time. It is estimated that the cost of sickies
is 22 times more than that of strike action!
Private business gets hit with at least $2 billion a year
for lost productivity, according to a study by the University
of Western Australia. And on an average day 2.7 per cent of
the Australian workforce is absent on unapproved leave. That's
about 270,000 people!
Things are even worse in the public service, the university
says, with up to $5 billion in costs being associated with
sickies.
Now there are many reasons for taking that day off and not
just the ones mentioned above. Parents, particularly single
working parents, need to sometimes take them for ill children
or partners. Sometimes it can be caused by a nasty experience
in the office - a confrontation, or harassment.
At others it can just be the result of a general malaise
about turning up to work doing the same old thing day after
day, or thinking you are not being appreciated for the work
you do.
Or you've been working your butt off for months on end -
possibly due to lack of staff, job changes or extra responsibilities
- and you just need a mental health day to chill out and recharge
the batteries. Perhaps you've been passed over for promotion,
or denied a pay rise?
Maybe you are just in the wrong job and need to get out and
find something where you can feel happier and excel at.
The casual nature of the workplace can also be a factor.
Why show loyalty to a company that doesn't employ me full-time,
pay me well, or picks and chooses when and where they use
me.
On some occasions it can just be a slackness about responsibility
and this is anecdotally the main problem with teenage employees
who many bosses and co-workers think are unreliable. Somewhere
along the line it has changed from "Great I've got a
job" to "I'm sick of going to work".
Researcher Dr Indira Pattni from UWA's Graduate School of
Management has said on the university website that the workload
of organisation's employees was cited in her study as one
of the reasons for a high rate of absenteeism.
"Employees have to cope with technical changes, structural
change within the organisation and changes in legislation.
Because of this, work performance demands are significant
and staff tend to push themselves to a point where they just
cannot take it," she said.
"The absence of one or two people in a team situation
increases the workload of others and a cyclic effect is created."
Dr Pattni has training sessions to show people how they can
manage their time and workload. Called 'Taking Charge', she
says it is about empowering employees with skills in taking
personal responsibility in enhancing their well being.
In an in-depth Absentee survey the Hallis
recruitment company found that 42% per cent of Australian
workers 'fess up to taking sickies every few months to catch
a breather.
The Hallis study found an average six days a year were taken
as sick leave by workers across the nation. The greatest number
of absentees came among those with the most sick leave and
shiftworkers featured highly taking two days a year more than
those with 9 to 5 jobs.
Who Takes Sick Leave?
- Contact centre employees use more sick leave than those
working in other industries
- Union members
- Younger employees use more than older workers
- Employees with children or other dependants
- Workers with one child
- Those with primary school children use more sick leave
than any other group. It rises by 20% during school holidays
Those Less Likely To Take Sick Leave
- High income earners
- Satisfied employees in a comfortable workplace
- Those with a good relationship with employer
Hallis found greater family pressures were contributing to
sick leave usage, with single parents or low-income couples
needing time out to balance work and family life.
What Can Employers Do?
- Have a pleasant work environment
- Treat staff with respect
- Acknowledge good work with words or financial rewards
- Keep an eye on rising stress levels from overwork
- Monitor staffing needs
- Reduce sick leave in exchange for more paid leave
There are also a number of courses available in Australia
and New Zealand that deal with improving management systems
and styles to reduce the rate of absenteeism in your workplace.
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