A combination of the increased sick leave entitlements to ten days, Covid-19 control measures that tell people to stay home if they feel ill and traditionally high absenteeism rates in the Kiwi workplace mean that local companies need to brace for a potential surge in absenteeism in the coming months.
Chief executive of national labour-hire company ELE Group, Brent Mulholland, said that in line with trends overseas, New Zealand companies could expect to bear a higher than average burden of people not turning up for work.
“We’re the company that others call to fill in the gaps, and those gaps are getting bigger,” Mulholland said. “I’m urging business leaders out there to look to their workplace conditions, their culture and each employee as an individual if they want to mitigate what could be disastrous for some.”
According to the Wellness in the Workplace report produced by BusinessNZ, sick days cost the New Zealand economy about $1.26 billion in lost productivity every year, or about $837 per employee.
Getting sick is a natural part of life – and an especially acute concern during Covid-19. But when an employee, or employees, starts showing signs of absenteeism, managers should take a closer look at the work environment.
Legitimate sick days should be encouraged since the risk of a contagious person passing on an illness might result in more employees falling ill. But if a trend of sick days emerges, it is the manager’s task to find out why.
“It could be that people have a medical challenge on their hands, or they may no longer enjoy the workplace environment due to stress, or bullying, even boredom.
“My advice is to take steps now to reduce your absenteeism rates. Get them under control sooner rather than later.”
Mulholland offers a few tips for employers to address this.
- Talk to your people
Employers will know whether a trend is emerging across the workplace or if it is an isolated issue.
“Perhaps the problem is the working environment. Can it be made more exciting for people to turn up to work? Is the leadership team reasonable in how it approaches problems? Is good work rewarded?” Mulholland said.
“Make sure expectations are set from the beginning. Jump on any aberration early.”
- Have a sick leave policy
Good sick leave management can only happen with a clear policy.
This sick leave policy should outline the number of paid sick days employees are entitled to (up to 10 per year in New Zealand), the possibility of unpaid sick leave and sabbaticals, attendance expectations and the procedure to request or notify about sick leave.
“A clear policy makes it easier for both employers and employees to know their rights and expectations. Also, remember to keep all this information on record to help identify trends in absenteeism and determine if an attendance review is necessary,” Mulholland said.
- Soul searching
Everyone has down-days. Even the most excited employee will have days when they don’t want to go to work. But if these moments become regular, it may be a time to talk with the employee.
“Nothing is smooth all the time, including work. But if an employee doesn’t like their job anymore, it may be time for them to move on. Hopefully, that feeling isn’t a result of negative factors like bullying in the workplace or stress,” Mulholland said.
“If there are negative factors in play, then fix it because other employees will likely be suffering as well. Absenteeism can often be a hint that something more systemic is broken in a workplace, and it is wise to dig a bit deeper to understand what that could be.”
For more information, visit: https://ele.nz/
