How can companies get on top of costly employee absence?

Guest Blog by Adrian Lewis, Commercial Director at Activ Absence 

Gatwick Airport was recently forced to shut its runway four times because of staff sickness. Only one air traffic controller out of three scheduled to be working was in the control tower and the airport needed to schedule mandatory breaks – the situation caused passenger delay and frustration.

In Leicester, the City Council recently published its absence figures which showed the average full-time employee took 12.75 days off in sickness leave in 2016/17 – totalling over 69,000 working days lost to sickness in one year. The council said that 10% of employees accounted for 70% of absence and it was taking steps to tackle sickness levels.

Adrian Lewis, Director of Activ Absence says these stories highlight the negative and costly impact sickness absence can have on an organisation, but there are solutions.

According to Lewis:

“Tracking absence is crucial for any organisation to ensure work can be carried out effectively and safely. For Gatwick Airport the impact of only having one air traffic controller had a huge knock on effect for hundreds of passengers who faced delays, not to mention damage to the reputation of the airport.

“In Leicester the high number of days lost to sickness would almost certainly have impacted other colleagues in the office who would have had to take on additional work. There are also huge cost implications. The Centre of Economic and Business Research reported last year that workplace absence is costing the UK £18bn in lost productivity, so it makes commercial sense for companies to tackle absence head on.”

“Using absence management software, employers can record sickness absence and keep on top of it – spotting key trends, such as people regularly taking a Friday or a Monday off, which can suggest underlying health issues such as stress. Once an organisation has a record of sickness absence and the reasons behind it they can offer support and address the issues their employees may be facing.”

A recent survey by Group Risk Development (Grid), found that more than one-fifths (22%) of employer respondents believe that their employee absence rates are higher than other organisations because they do not have health and wellbeing initiatives in place.

The survey also found that 20% of respondents feel their employee absence rates are higher because of poor work-life balance, compared to 24% who cite ineffective absence management processes as the reason for higher employee absence rates.

Adrian Lewis says,

“This research highlights that wellbeing initiatives can help reduce absence rates, however, without the right systems in place to get to the root causes of absence then introducing these may be futile. Investing in absence management software can help flag up ongoing health issues, so that companies can tailor their support.

“It also allows for greater transparency, better resourcing and helps business plan more effectively, plus it can act as a deterrent to pulling a sickie as people know that it will recorded and followed up with a back to work interview. Not only will sickness absence be reduced but so will the associated costs and productivity will be improved.”

For more information on how Activ Absence can help you business please visit their website to arrange an online demonstration.

Are HR professionals prepared for a surge in holiday leave requests at end of financial year?

It’s the end of the financial year for many organisations, which means HRs could have been swamped with last minute requests for holiday leave as people want to use up their holiday entitlement, says Adrian Lewis, Director of Activ Absence.

A survey commissioned by British Airways in January revealed that one-third of UK workers did not use up their annual leave in 2017, losing an average of four days each.  A ‘use it or lose it’ policy can mean hundreds of last minute holiday requests for HR to process.

The recent cold weather is also likely to prompt more holiday requests as people decide they want to head off for some sun, leaving HRs in a panic on how to manage the volume of requests so everyone is happy and ensure its business as usual in the office.

Adrian Lewis says,

“Employees leaving holiday leave requests until the last minute is every HR’s nightmare. Companies want to encourage people to take their full holiday entitlement as they know it’s good for health and wellbeing, but also need to ensure the workplace is fully staffed and avoid too many clashes.

“Unfortunately, lots of companies are in the dark over how much holiday leave someone has left to take, especially if they are relying on spreadsheets, wall planners or paper forms to manage leave. This adds more pressure and makes it more likely for errors to occur, resulting in employees booking leave at the same time.

“The solution is absence management software that enables HRs to easily manage and stay on top of staff holiday planning. A centralised system where holiday leave can be requested and approved at the touch of a button allows for greater transparency, better resourcing and helps business plan more effectively.”

Adrian adds;

“The technology also allows employers to set alerts such as automatically prompting staff to book leave if a set level is accrued, thus preventing a buildup of annual leave. HRs can nudge people to take their holiday leave throughout the year, helping to avoid last minute requests at this time of year,” 

Snowy weather doesn’t need to impact business productivity says Activ Absence

With parts of Wales now at the highest red “extreme weather” level and over 1,000 schools closed due to Storm Emma, Adrian Lewis, Managing Director, Activ Absence, based in Bridgend, South Wales says adverse weather conditions don’t need to cause chaos in the office too.

  

Adrian Lewis commented;

“With many office workers not able to make it into work or being sent home early this week the normal business day can be disrupted, which can negatively affect productivity, especially if companies can’t keep on top of where people are.

“However, this doesn’t need to be the case. With the right technology companies can easily allow flexible working and home working which means it can be business as usual, even if people can’t get into the office due to bad weather. We sent everyone home yesterday and several employees worked from home because they couldn’t get in.”

“Absence management software enables managers to keep track of who is working, when and where. People can log on as soon as they know they can’t make into the office and need to work from home. This gives managers an instant overview of where everyone is and allows them to plan the working day accordingly.

Adrian added;

“With people often wasting hours trying to brave public transport or driving to get into the office, this technology makes it simple for companies to have policies in place to plan for events such as poor weather, allowing staff to work flexibly or at home if necessary, and help minimise the impact on productivity,”