Workers often call in sick for reasons other than illness. An annual survey of human resource managers conducted by CCH Inc., a Chicago-based provider of employment information, in conjunction with Harris Interactive, found that illness accounted for only 40 percent of unscheduled absences while 20 percent were attributed to “family issues,” 20 percent dealt with “personal needs,” 14 percent were blamed on the “entitlement mentality,” and 5 percent were due to “stress.”

A current decline in absenteeism (a drop of .8% nationally) may be due to incentives employers offer to encourage attendance, such as flexible scheduling programs, perfect-attendance bonuses, and paid leave banks.

Flexible scheduling may curb the need for employees to call in sick for an entire day. Survey coordinators suggest that employers allow workers to come in early or leave late in order to take time off during business hours to transact personal business.

Financial bonuses (sometimes as high as $100) may be incentives for perfect attendance over a three-month period. It’s a small price to pay, according to Lisa Franke, a CCH analyst. Absenteeism costs businesses an average of $610 per employee per year. And that doesn’t take into account diminished customer service and morale problems caused by absenteeism.

Paid leave banks were touted as the single most effective deterrent to absenteeism by the human resource professionals surveyed. Instead of traditional separate accounts for sick, vacation, and personal time, employees receive a bank of hours to use for various purposes.

We can help. If absenteeism is a concern, one or all of these programs may be your answer. Contact us today for ideas to help you reduce absenteeism.

Source: Meyer, Brian The Buffalo News: “Employee Absenteeism Hits Lowest Level in Decade” HR News Wire.