An organization implements an absence management policy to reduce and discourage employee absenteeism. Anyone can suffer from illnesses, injuries, and accidents, rendering them unable to work. Often unforeseen circumstances also occur for which an employee may be unable to attend work.
It affects the productivity and flow of work and may even cause financial losses to the company. So absence management policies are implemented to discourage excessive and unnecessary employee absenteeism and prevent workplace disruptions.
The human resources department of any organization is responsible for implementing and encouraging company policies, including absence management. A very effective way of doing so is by maintaining open communication and transparency. Additionally, a company/organization may conduct training sessions and workshops, as these initiatives remind everyone of the rules and policies of the company and also to hear their feedback, questions, and demands.
All policies implemented and set by any organization need to be carefully outlined and planned. It should be fair and maintain human rights while being strict at the same time. It should clearly state things like
It is something all employees should know as this applies to every member in the office. It includes: how to apply for leave, whom to contact in case of emergencies and to be unable to work, whom to report to after returning, consequences of failing to inform and report.
To make an efficient and effective absence management policy, it should be detailed and well thought out. There should be a rule and section for every possibility. For example:
The HR team should consider all possibilities for which a person may be unable to work. For each case, there needs to be a contingency and facility at the same time penalties where it is applicable. All the procedures and rules should be well written for each case, so there are no disputes and confusion. transparency is crucial here.
Everything requires balance, and company policies are no exception. You can't simply make up your own rules and policies and think everyone will accept them. So when creating and setting absence management policies, maintain a balance between flexibility and strictness.
Policies should be set so that employees feel cared for and, simultaneously, be strict enough to discourage employees from abusing the policy. For instance, a company may allow work-from-home facilities for employees with an injury that makes it difficult for them to make daily commutes to work in that condition.
Remember, at the end of the day, a happy employee is a productive employee. Making employees feel they are cared for and acknowledged is crucial. Another way to discourage employees from being absent from work is to incentivize regular attendance. Incentives are a great motivator. Even lazy and otherwise careless employees may change their habits and be more productive with positive reinforcements.