Managing Employee Absences Effectively

In a time when employee absences could be at an all-time high, it’s important to have an effective plan in place to manage them. And, while paying for outside consultancy to improve staff well-being is an additional cost to your business it could be a worthwhile investment. Keep reading to find out how your business could benefit from advice from an absence management specialist.

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No matter what size of your business, staff illness can have a negative effect on labor costs and productivity. Additionally, it can negatively affect your profitability over the longer term. Businesses are, therefore, increasingly looking for effective absence management programs to drive down loss and reduce the expense of managing these situations. 

One of the main aims of a good employee absence management plan is to improve employee health early on. Addressed quickly, and providing interventions where necessary, most illnesses and conditions can be anticipated, prevented, and/or treated before they have costly and long-term consequences. Often, this type of advice can be found via insurance companies or actual health organizations.  Some companies benefit from actually finding medical plans for employees where applicable.

For example, places like the Scoliosis Institute can give information about spine care and how it might affect workers. The best thing you can do is research companies that could be of service to your specific type of business. Do also ask your insurance carrier if they offer health coaching and incentives for employees who are willing to be proactive about their health.

Having a program in place can often reduce, if not eliminate, incidences of sick leave. Therefore, a successful absence management plan might include carrying out a full assessment of the workplace. This helps you to anticipate where problems could arise and implement needed changes. 

Corporate Wellness Program 

Another part of the services provided by absence management companies can be an effective return to work program for situations where an employee has been on sick leave for a considerably long period. This service is built around proactively managing an employee’s case and working with him/her to successfully return to the workplace.

A program like this might give them the option of receiving additional psychological treatment or physiotherapy, depending on the nature of their illness. The role and working conditions they return to can be monitored, in case changes or improvements could be made to enable them to return safely. If a change of responsibility is necessary, a clear protocol would make this transition easier for everyone. 

Have Good Communication with Employees

When an employee misses work, there could be a number of reasons why. However, if it’s due to illness, and it’s reoccurring, it’s important to communicate your concern and to see if there is anything you can do to help. This helps establish trust and a sense of workplace community. Depending on what is revealed, you can then take the next steps to ensure your employee is supported.

Keep And Employee’s Information Confidential

Remember, an employee’s health details are private and should not be shared without permission. However, if there is a situation where the worker will not be able to return for a period of time or do the job safely, make sure that all communication goes through your human resources department if you have one.