Who's Off Work Sick - There's a Match On!

The Activ Absence team are always 'game' for a laugh, so thanks to our supercool boss and 'Wimbledon Star' Adrian Lewis for being our model!  

Whilst we always have fun at work, absence management is a serious matter. Sporting events like Wimbledon often result in a spike in unplanned absence as fans don't want to miss important matches or overindulge in the Pimms and strawberries over the weekend! Identifying who's off sick can be a challenge, but software can help.

For those keen to not miss key matches, canny managers can turn events like Wimbledon into an opportunity to build team morale by letting staff listen to the match on the radio and bringing in strawberries (or indeed, have managers dressing in tennis whites like Mr. Lewis above!)  

Turning a sickie-prone event into a win/win is one is a neat way to reduce unplanned absence, but obviously not every environment allows for this (may I add Mr. Lewis is dressed normally today!).

Obviously Wimbledon and other sporting events are not an everyday problem, but the cost of short term sickness absence IS a major issue in the UK.  Wearing his serious hat as our Commercial Director, Adrian said:

“Spikes in absenteeism represent a continual challenge for HR managers. Our software can help companies firstly get a grip on the implications of such problems and help inform directors to make the right decision in terms of how to deal with this issue.

“Many companies still use spreadsheets to record sickness, but they don't give any ability to manage and analyse your data. Activ Absence is a brilliant way to keep on top of everything - and it saves businesses time and money."

To see how much absence is costing your business, click here to learn more. 

Keeping your cool when the mercury rises

According to the weathermen, we are expecting record breaking sunshine this week, which is great news for those of us in Wales who look forward to a few days of sunshine in amongst the flurry of drizzle, heavy rain and cloudy skies that give us the beautiful green valleys we are famous for!

Sunny weather is great news for British tourism, and especially good news for tennis fans, who so often pay big money for Wimbledon tickets only to sit through rain interrupting play!

The sunny weather is not such great news for HR Managers, however, who are used to seeing unauthorised sickness absence rise just as quickly as the mercury does, especially if Andy Murray is playing well on Centre Court!  Of course, that's on top of planned annual leave which is higher during the Summer months.

Activ Absence is perfect for staff holiday planning and it is also proven to reduce unauthorised absence by 25-30%.  Our HR Managers claim that their cloud based absence management system makes summer easier:

"our records are more accurate and up to date than they ever were, resulting us being able to monitor and respond quickly to any absence issues that might arise."  Julie Holt, Improva

HR Managers using Activ Absence will now have a little extra something in their HR toolkit to help them keep cool when the temperature rises - because the company have today announced that they are sending attractively branded free mini cool bags to all their customers!

The Activ Absence Cool Bag

Adrian Lewis, Commercial Director  for Activ Absence explained:

"It's that time of year, with Wimbledon, sunny weather and the odd trip to the zoo or the seaside when those of us who have weekends off really want to make the most of them.  We view our HR customers as our most valuable asset, so as well as hopefully making their working lives easier during the warmer weather, we can give them a little something to help them enjoy their leisure time!"

The coolbags hold 6 regular soft drink cans, or for those who like to go camping, our Head of Marketing advises they also hold a pack of bacon, sausages, a pint of milk and an ice pack and are perfect for an overnight camping trip with a lovely breakfast!

Lucky HR Managers will be receiving their cool bags soon.

If you aren't yet a customer but would like one of the limited edition cool bags, book a FREE demonstration of the software by Friday 3rd July and we will happily send you one, no strings attached (whilst stocks last!)  To book your Activ Absence demonstration, call the team on 01656 750858 or email nikki.roberts@codelsoftware.com

UK Manufacturers failing to count the cost of absence | theHRDIRECTOR - The only magazine dedicated to HR Directors

Activ Absence quoted in an article on HR Director:



UK Manufacturers failing to count the cost of absence | theHRDIRECTOR - The only magazine dedicated to HR Directors

SME’s Fear the Impact of Staff Absence

Interesting article on absence management today inHR News: SME’s Fear the Impact of Staff Absence

Bridgend Cloud Based HR Software Business On the Fast Track!

Codel Software, developers of cloud based HR Software, Activ Absence were delighted to learn of their inclusion in the 2015 Swansea Bay Fast Track 25 list.

‘Fast Track 25’ is an invitation only business club organised by Swansea Bay Business life, and this is the second year running for the programme, which is designed to highlight the stars of the Swansea business world.

Businesses are chosen for the Fast Track programme by an expert panel, who seek to reflect the type of businesses needed to ensure economic prosperity in the South West Wales region.   Codel Software are a good example of a welsh business with excellent growth and a great product that is able to reduce costs for other employers.

Their flagship product, Activ Absence, has a growing market share.  There has been a marked increase in demand for absence management software as businesses seek to reduce their operating costs, Activ Absence streamlines staff holiday administration and helps organisations drive down the cost of absence.

Adrian Lewis, Commercial Director for Activ Absence said “It’s great news for us, we regularly get national praise for our innovative cloud-based software, so it’s nice to know that word of our success is finally reaching Wales!”

Adrian’s team will join the brightest and best local businesses in attending the Fast Track 25 official networking event at Marriot Hotel in Swansea on July 9th. The event is due to feature a series of inspirational speakers including former rugby legend Robert Jones and regional director at Thomas Carroll group.

Wyn Jenkins, Managing Director of Seren Global Media said, "As this elite business event rolls into its second year, it has built up momentum and is becoming even more of a vibrant networking of like-minded business people."

Codel Software shares the prestigious list this year with a range of impressive businesses including Tidal Lagoon — the company driving the proposed iconic £1 billion Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project, underwater lighting experts, Lumishore, Infinity Document Solutions and Star Multi Fuels among others.

Santander and Bevan & Buckland have continued their sponsorship for this year’s Fast Track 25.
Andrew Davies, relationship director of Santander stated “We are delighted to continue our joint sponsorship of this exciting business programme,"

"It has been extremely encouraging to see the enthusiasm of the business community of Swansea and South West Wales in response to this and we look forward to future events and further engagement. The SME sector is a crucial part of the local economy and the success of local businesses is a key driver in the prosperity of the region."

Harri Lloyd-Davies, audit partner at Bevan & Buckland, said he was delighted to be co-sponsoring the awards once again.

Lewis concluded: “it’s an honour to be part of the fast-track programme and we look forward to the networking events.”

Wales-based businesses who would like to know more about Activ Absence can contact the commercial team on 01656 750858.