What is absenteeism at work?
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the issue of absenteeism to the forefront. The absence of one or more employees can have a significant impact on a company’s operations and performance.
How should companies manage employee absences?There can be many reasons for these absences. Companies are taking various steps to combat absenteeism in the workplace. A closer look at a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common in organizations.
Absenteeism refers to an employee’s repeated absences from work. The definition of absenteeism thus includes the following types of absences:
Ayming and AGR2 La Mondiale have released a survey on absenteeism and workplace engagement. The figures speak for themselves and show a clear increase in this trend.
As a result,absenteeism rose by 24% in 2020 compared to 2019. The analysis shows an average of 25.1 days of absence per year per employee in France. The average absenteeism rate stands at 6.87%. This sharp increase is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated an already existing trend.
Whether for personal or professional reasons, an employee's absence can be caused by various factors:
Among the personal reasons, we can mention:
There are also causes of absenteeism that are directly related to work:
Quality of life at work (QLW) therefore has a significant impact on absenteeism.
This repeated absence from work has a direct impact on the company’s internal operations. The consequences of absenteeism can be severe. The operations of the absent employee’s department may be disrupted, resulting in poor productivity and potential delays in orders. The absent employee’s workload must be shared among their colleagues, which can cause tension among the employees who are present. Be mindful of the resulting drop in motivation within the department.
Can't you reorganize the absent person's tasks? Then you need to replace them by hiring someone on a fixed-term or temporary contract. The cost of replacement is significant and must be taken into account when considering the issue of absenteeism.
→ The best absence management software
Absenteeism in the workplace is not inevitable. HR departments have various tools at their disposal to reduce employee absences.
They can work closely with occupational health services to find solutions to reduce workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. Prevention plays a fundamental role here. It is also possible to request a second medical examination in certain specific cases.
A positive work-life balance and improved working conditions also help create an environment conducive to reducing absenteeism. Boosting employee motivation will help reduce absences. For example, you could offer an attendance bonus.
→ Implement a workplace quality initiative
Finally, talent management helps improve employee engagement and drastically reduce absenteeism. quarksUp offers HR directors an online tool to streamline the management of employee careers. You can easily schedule HR interviews. Managers can set goals to be achieved. It is also possible to assess skills. With this tool, you can focus on career development and boost employee motivation. When your employees are more motivated, they are less likely to be absent.
Did you know? An online questionnaire generator
quarskUp provides you with an online questionnaire generator. This allows you to test your employees' motivation and understand how they feel about their quality of life at work.
You are now aware of the importance of monitoring absenteeism within your organization. To do so, you need to track a concrete and reliable absenteeism metric.
How do you calculate the absenteeism rate at work?
The absenteeism rate is a ratio expressed as a percentage:
Absenteeism rate = (number of days absent during a period / number of days theoretically worked during that period) x 100.
In this formula, the number of days of absence may relate to:
The COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed a steady increase in absenteeism at work. HR departments can combat this trend by using various levers. Motivating employees, offering them genuine career management, improving quality of life at work... These are all avenues worth exploring.
The 3 key points to remember:
