Tackling staff absence in schools, academies and colleges

A total of 2.16 million days were lost due to teacher sickness absence in 2015/16 according to the latest statistics from the Department of Education[i].

Other figures from the Liberal Democrats[ii] this year revealed that one in 83 teachers is now on long-term leave of one month or more for stress and mental health issues in 2016/17 – up 5% on the previous year.

Adrian Lewis, director at Activ Absence says that sickness absence not only costs schools money, it can also impact staff morale and recruitment and retention, which can affect the pupils’ education.

Lewis says,

“Tackling absence is essential given schools operate on tight budgets and are workplaces where absences will be immediately noticed. If a teacher is frequently off sick it will either add to supply teaching costs or the workload of other teachers and affect teaching standards.

“To address this situation, a growing number of educational establishments including primaries, academies and colleges are looking to drive efficiencies and reduce absenteeism levels by investing in absence management software to better manage their sickness absence.

“A good absence management system will let teachers log on to alert school managers they are sick, making it easier to plan the day and sort out cover in time for lessons. It can help reduce key skills shortages as well as support the return to work process.

“Having a system where you can see clearly who is off and when, whether this is for meetings, sick leave or holiday leave all in one place that is simple and easy to use, with zero training needed can be hugely beneficial.

“This software can also help uncover the root causes of sickness absence and pick up trends such as someone often off ill on a Monday which could indicate stress, a growing problem in British schools” 

A NASUWT union survey[iii] last year highlighted that one in ten teachers are taking anti-depressants to cope with work stresses – with heavy workloads and staff shortages being blamed. Having staff off sick is only adding to this problem.

“By gaining insight into absence trends managers can spot patterns of sickness which can bring mental health issues, such as stress and anxiety, to light more quickly. This enables managers to offer support and help teachers who may be struggling,”

adds Mr Lewis.

Schools like the John Port Spencer Academy in Derbyshire are already getting the benefits of using this technology. Jeannette Topham, HR Officer says;

“We started using Activ Absence in October 2017. We were looking for a system that streamlined requests for planned absence and one that also helped us to manage the sickness absence process. Staff have adapted to the new system really well and the online forms and email prompts are really useful for keeping everyone informed about what they need to do.  

“The system keeps the School Leadership Team informed about staffing and the cover supervisor knows what requests are being made in advance to help anticipate any cover needs.”

Louise Varner, HR Administrator at Bootham School in York finds the system simple to use, highly intuitive with information easily accessed and clearly displayed. She says;

“Reports can be customised to deliver management information as and when required and scheduled to run automatically.

“I have set up various alerts within the system which trigger e-mails to me, the HR manager and line manager if certain criterion is met. We use this information to inform positive interventions, as line managers are able to discuss any issues with their staff as soon as a pattern of absence emerges. This has had a positive impact in reducing absence and reflects the supportive ethos of the school.

“The online return to work form gives a coherent structure for line managers to follow when conducting interviews with staff and prompts them to fully explore any adjustments that may be needed to facilitate a phased return. The system also sends a reminder if the return to work has not been completed which is invaluable in ensuring that records are up to date and that we, as an organisation, are looking after the wellbeing of our staff.”

Mr Lewis concludes;

“For schools, academies, colleges and universities thinking ahead to the new academic year and planning IT budgets now, investing in technology could be a game changer for reducing and managing staff absence effectively. Absence management software can bring efficiencies and savings, as well as help schools look after the wellbeing of staff their staff.”

[i] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620825/SFR25_2017_MainText.pdf

[ii] https://www.libdems.org.uk/3750-teachers-england-on-long-term-stress-leave

[iii] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/teachers-antidepressants-stress-workload-suicidal-one-in-ten-nasuwt-a7684466.html

Top tips for managing sickies during the summer sports season

The World Cup kicks off in Russia on 14th June 2018 – and along with other major summer sporting fixtures such as Wimbledon, the golf Open, Tour de France and England vs India test cricket, could spark a rise in ‘sporting sickies’.

A survey conducted by Love Energy Savings at the start of Euro 2016 suggested that one in five people would be willing to take a sickie to watch a sporting event and with all eyes on England during the World Cup employers need to prepare.

Adrian Lewis, director at Activ Absence says employers are likely to see an increase in hangovers, unauthorised sickness absence and presenteeism this summer, especially during the month long World Cup.

Adrian says;

“The UK is a sporting nation and we really love to get behind our national team or favourite sports person but this can have a negative impact at work. People calling in sick to watch matches during the day can leave the office understaffed, plus those coming into work feeling a little bit worse for wear can mean productivity goes down.

“However employers can minimise the potential disruption of people pulling sickies with a bit of careful planning and ensure it’s business as usual during the summer sporting season. They can even use the sports season to improve employee engagement,”

Adrian offers the following tips to help employers manage staff during major sporting events this summer:

1. Keep an eye on sporting fixtures, even if you aren’t a fan yourself – Be prepared for possible sickies in advance, especially in staff critical environments, such as nursing. It’s harder to get temporary cover during major sporting events or the day after a bank holiday, so plan in advance based on previous experience.

2. Fair play is important in sport – it also extends to fair handling of leave – Decide ahead how you will handle multiple requests for staff holiday, especially during sporting tournaments – if you can’t authorise all of them, could you compromise and let people watch the fixtures at work instead? Make sure that your system is fair and visible, so that staff are aware of it in advance.

3. Make staff aware of your policy on sickness absence and enforce it equally – More than half of employed adults believe their work performance is negatively impacted when attendance policies are not fairly enforced throughout an organisation. Poor motivation leads to absenteeism, so make sure your rules treat management and staff equally. Staff are more likely to respect rules they see apply equally to everyone.

4. Educate your staff – Staff who take sick days to ‘watch the match’ don’t realise that short term absence has a big impact on the company’s bottom line and is actually more disruptive to the business than long term sickness. Raising awareness can encourage them to book planned annual leave days rather than faking a ‘sickie’.

5. Always use return to work forms and interviews – Sporting absenteeism seems to have regular offenders. By having to complete a return to work self-certification form, or experiencing a return to work interview it’s less likely to be brushed under the carpet.

6. Consider using accurate reporting and recording systems – Spreadsheets and paper forms are less than ideal for managing both staff holiday and sickness absence, especially if more than one person is able to authorise leave. Consider investing in absence management software. It’s designed for purpose, prevents leave clashes at line manager level and usually saves more than it costs – it’s also visibly fair!

7. Use sport to motivate staff – Use the sporting season to build teamwork, engagement and motivation at work. For instance hold sports themed team challenges at work, maybe even get two tickets to an event as a prize for the best performers or have themed days in the office during matches/events and show them on TV to encourage attendance.

8. Use sporting enthusiasm to drive wellness – Run an exercise challenge over summer or look out for any team sports a company team could take part in. Sport often promotes more interest in health so have healthy drinks and snacks available at work and see if your local gym will give your staff a free trial.

Adrian adds;

“The key is to plan and ensure you have the right systems in place to manage absence. While both planned and unplanned absence can be an issue for companies to stay on top off, sporty summers can also be a great opportunity for a bit of fun.

“Encouraging employees to enjoy tournaments together, get involved in sport or just become a bit healthier can be a great way to improve staff engagement and motivation.”