National Sickie Day - the cost of sickness absence
The first Monday in February is traditionally known as #NationalSickieDay, as it's statistically the day when most employees pull a sickie throughout the year.
In 2017 ELAS compiled some of the worst excuses used for missing work, and whilst we’re not sure we want to promote it, sickness absence can cause big headaches and ongoing costs for businesses.
It’s estimated that the cost of National Sickie Day in wages, lost hours and overtime is expected to be around £45million!
Common reasons for missing work
We all get sick from time to time, the average employee takes 6-7 days per year off sick. The most common reasons for missing work are:
- Transport issues
- Illness
- Weather
- Health appointments
- Family obligations
- Home emergency
- A death in the family
When do excuses for missing work cross the line?
One off, outrageous excuses for missing work may be taken with a pinch of salt and viewed as an anomaly.
But you have a problem when excuses become a more regular occurrence.
How to handle excuses for missing work
The first step is to keep a record of all the dates missed and the excuses used by your employee – even when the excuses are legitimate ones.
The second step is to address the reasons for missing work and have an open discussion with them so that you can get a good understanding of what may or may not be happening.
Sickness absences cases on the surface may sound straight forward but you never know what’s happening behind closed doors. They may be experiencing some personal problems or health issues that you’re unaware of, so it’s important to tread carefully whilst also acknowledging that their absences haven’t gone unmissed.
Failing to deal with ongoing absences quickly can have a long-lasting impact on your business, not only from a financial perspective but it may have a negative influence on other employees who are having to cover workload and see that particular employees are ‘getting away’ with their excuses for being absent.
Importance of a sickness absence policy
A sickness or absence policy is a useful tool to help establish expectations in your business when it comes to absences, and should the problem persist, help you manage absence correctly, including when it’s appropriate to take disciplinary action.
Need help managing your people?
We give businesses personal support from qualified HR advisors to manage workplace compliance and HR challenges with confidence with our fixed-fee unlimited advice line.
Find out how we can support you and your team, speak to an expert today on 01622 47 41 49 or emailing info@primed.co.uk.
For advice, support and guidance on managing sickness absence at work, book a free consultation today
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