"I love using spreadsheets to manage staff absence!" said no HR Manager, ever!

How do you manage your staff sickness absence and staff holiday planning?

Many organisations still use time-consuming spreadsheets and paper forms, but they are rarely popular with the people who use them everyday, because they are prone to human error and result in a lot of telephone and email interruptions for the HR team.

Bridgend-based software provider Activ People HR have come up with an easy-to-use alternative, which saves time and money and provides managers with an instant overview of the whole team.

Activ Absence enables HR and line managers to keep track of staff sickness absence and staff holiday planning. Sickness absence is costing UK businesses £29 billion a year, and whether down to absenteeism (sickies), unofficial “duvet days” or genuine sickness, these absences can have a massive impact on your business.  Activ Absence supports your HR policies, reduces absenteeism and improves staff engagement.

Activ Absence runs on a web browser, so it can be accessed on any device with an internet connection.  It tracks, records and manages sickness absence and identifies patterns of sickness.  For example, it can report on who typically takes Mondays and Fridays off.

HR Managers have access to detailed real time reports that identify patterns both across the team and in individual employees – they can then offer targeted support and prioritise their wellness initiatives accordingly.

Although reports can be run with one click, they can also be set to run automatically and email managers on a given schedule if preferred.  Built in trigger points can be configured to suit your policies and will then automatically alert HR or line managers when action or a review is necessary. The system has been shown to reduce absenteeism by 20-30%.

Activ Absence also handles staff holiday planning, study leave and parental leave brilliantly, reducing pressure on line managers and HR.  The dashboard can be configured to show at-a-glance appropriate information for different levels of staff, including managers, and can show overall leave by individual, department, team or company.  Individual Bradford Factor scores are calculated automatically (though this can be disabled if desired).

Employees find the software useful - they can see their own sickness information; they may perceive that they 'only take the odd day', and that no-one really notices,  Activ Absence can quickly dispel any illusions!

However, it is the staff holiday planning features that really engage employees.  Staff can login on any device (even a smartphone) anytime, anywhere and can check how much annual leave they have left, (and who else in their section or skillset has already booked the dates they want, as many companies have a policy of limiting numbers being on leave at any one time.)   They can then send their holiday request to HR with just one click – even from the travel agents!

Managers will see relevant department planning information when the request is received, enabling them to make a quick decision to accept or reject the request with one click.
Another popular feature is a trigger to remind people to use up their annual leave entitlement, avoiding a build-up of leave at the end of the year.

Activ Absence is highly flexible, and can be configured to suit your requirements.  Being part of Activ People HR also offers the ability to add extra HR functions if needed.  Activ Documents allows you to keep track of employee documents, such as your drivers’ licences, ensuring they are up to date.  Activ Appraisals offers a complete system for delivering feedback and setting staff goals, and Activ Handbook automates your staff policy handbook, distributing documents at the touch of a button, and recording receipt.

The company are thrilled to have been nominated in the South Wales Business Awards for Technology and Innovation and also for the Business of the Year.

For more information about Activ Absence or Activ People HR, please visit the web sites, www.activabsence.co.uk and www.activpeople.co.uk, or telephone on 01656 750858