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How to Reduce Your Accounting Employees’ Sick Days

 
 

You might not be aware of the toll that absenteeism and the relatively new term presenteeism (working while sick) are taking on your business. But the reduced output that results from lost productivity and the time spent addressing the issue can add up quickly.

Consider these statistics:

  • The amount of productivity from employee absenteeism and presenteeism adds up to a staggering $227 billion annually;
  • 29%, on average, is the amount of lost productivity each day that results from an employee covering for an absent coworker;
  • 22% of an employer’s payroll is associated with direct and indirect costs of employee absence;
  • Supervisors spend 4.2 hours each week dealing with employee absences. The time includes adjusting workflow, finding replacements, and training them; and
  • All of this equals 210 hours (5.3 weeks) of time spent on employee absence.

Absenteeism results in work that is not delivered as efficiently. And, since coworkers are covering roles with which they are not familiar, those employees are subjected to higher stress levels that could translate into exhaustion and burnout.

Here are some suggestions for reducing unauthorized absenteeism and thus increasing productivity:

Empower Your Employees

The responsibilities that employers give to their workers can make them feel empowered. For instance, giving employees the responsibility to manage their hours or the days of the week they work from home or the office shows that you trust them and it gives them a sense of control.

While this isn’t possible in all situations, when it is an option, you can give your workers a boost in morale by providing them with the opportunity to manage their time effectively. Empowered employees are less prone to absenteeism.

Help Them to Create Work/Life Balance

Most of your workers take their jobs seriously. But it’s important that they don’t go overboard. While the average employee is already spending more than a third of the day on the job, it’s critical that they balance that out by socializing or spending quality time with their families.

If you notice that one of your workers is falling behind or staying extra hours to catch up, it might be a chance to evaluate his or her workload. If the load appears to be too heavy, share it with others or scale it back.

Offer Them Flexibility

There is a persistent myth that employees with flexible work schedules are less committed and become inefficient. Studies on flexible working, however, contradict this thinking by showing that this kind of program may help improve workers’ health and well-being, reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and enhance employee engagement and motivation.

With all these benefits, it is certainly worth considering.

Maintain an Open-Door Policy

When your employees know they can talk to you — whether it’s work-related or personal — you’re showing that you care about them. Workers will try hard to please an employer who appreciates them. And that includes showing up every day — and on time.


For more management tips on minimizing sick days and keeping your employees engaged, contact Halcyon Finance & Accounting Recruitment today. We are here to help you develop your team and grow your business.


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