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Absence Management

What is Absence Management in HR?

Absence management is monitoring staff absence during illness, emergencies or other reasons. HRs can effortlessly manage staff absenteeism by crafting policies and implementing strategies to strike balance between employees and businesses.

Why is Absence Management Important?

  1. Reduces Absenteeism: Organisations can identify patterns of frequent absences and implement preventive measures.
  2. Streamlines operations: Unplanned absence can disrupt the particular team’s or entire organisation’s workforce based on the employee’s job role. Absence management plays a crucial role where HRs can interfere and streamline operations during the absence of particular employees.
  3. Enhances Staff Well-Being:  A supportive workplace culture with a good absence management strategy can address the root issues of absenteeism. Providing immense support during the absence of an employee means a lot to them.

HR Strategies To Manage Employee Absence

Here are some of the strategies that HR departments can follow to handle employee’s absence effortlessly.

  1. Supportive Return-to-Work Interviews: These interviews are usually conducted for employees after prolonged absences to ensure they feel supported, and all geared up to re-engage with their work.
  2. Occupational Health Involvement:  As medical sickness is a major reason for staff absence, partnerships with health experts can help organisations to offer health assistance through wellness programs, mental health support and more.
  3. Risk Assessments: It is important for the company to evaluate risks when an employee returns after being absent for a prolonged time. For instance, stress, physical limitations and other factors have to be assessed to provide tailored adjustments based on the employee’s health conditions.
  4. Flexible Working Arrangements: Introducing adaptable work schedules or environments to accommodate employees dealing with health issues or personal challenges.

Absence Management Reports

An estimated 12 billion working days are lost globally each year due to depression and anxiety.

World Health Organization (WHO)

Monitoring absenteeism via detailed reports helps reduce costs, improve productivity, and support employee well-being. Data-driven reporting plays a critical role in tracking absenteeism trends and making informed decisions. Common types of absence management reports include:

  1. Annual or Termly Comparisons: Tracks changes in absenteeism over time to analyse the major reason throughout the year.
  2. Absence Type and Cost Analysis: Categorises absences (e.g., sick leave, personal leave) and calculates associated costs.
  3. Attendance Percentages and Triggers: Identifies employees whose attendance falls below acceptable thresholds to trigger action plans.
  4. Department or Manager Performance: Assesses the impact of absenteeism on specific teams or under particular managers.

Benefits of Automated Reporting

Automating absence reporting offers numerous advantages:

  • Insights to address employee needs
  • Insights to identify and respond to trends in absenteeism
  • Track Across the Organization
  • Assesses the financial impact of absences

HR’s Role in Absence Management

HR teams are central to successful absence management, as they:

  1. Develop Policies: Create absence management policies that align with organisational goals and legal requirements.
  2. Communicate Policies: Verify whether employees are aware of procedures and understand their responsibilities.
  3. Support Managers: Provide line managers with training and tools to address absenteeism.
  4. Address Short- and Long-Term Absences: Implement tailored approaches for different types of absences, such as temporary illness or extended leave.