Hands-up if you are planning a 'serious chat' about sickies today!

Absence management tips from the Activ Absence blog

I’ll hazard a bet that in many workplaces, there was at least one empty seat yesterday, although even more troopers will have wandered in despite a hangover, dosing up on caffeine pills, aftersun lotion and painkillers to combat excesses of one form or another! The Tuesday after a bank holiday almost always sees a higher than normal rate of absence, and the Wednesday sees managers conducting return to work interviews.

So, what causes Bank Holiday-itis?

‘Bank-holidayitis’ is more complicated than a stolen sunbathe and a bad hangover. As well as overindulgences, there are journeys people don’t normally take on busier roads, new places, trips to a&e that take twice as long, changes in routine which can mess up regular medication and food poisoning down to badly cooked barbecue food, all adding up to more risk. For those suffering with mental illness, who simply couldn’t face that first day back, being judged as ‘taking a sickie’ could be the last straw that sees them running to the doctors to get a sick note – and the start of a long term absence.

Combine return to work interviews with absence management data

Therefore, while some managers and staff dread it, getting the return to work interview right after a short term absence is vital. 

Don’t just assume that an interview is about modifying employee behaviour or investigating what happened. Make it positive, use it as an opportunity to re-engage staff members, explore any potential stress, and most importantly, use it as an opportunity to review your absence management data for both the individual and their team – it could highlight an opportunity to make changes that will improve absence on a wider scale.

Absence management data is really important, because without an accurate history, and a report on patterns and trends of absence, you are basing critical employment decisions on a hunch. This is vital in tackling absenteeism, but your absence management data has the power to help HR tackle far more than just absenteeism, and really support your staff. Of course, this is if you have access to data – those of you still on spreadsheets will probably struggle to get these insights…. but enough about that, lets assume you have them.

(p.s. if you don't have these insights, and want them, our team at Activ Absence will be happy to give you a hassle-free demo).

Other than absenteeism, why is absence management data important?

Here’s just some of the things that looking at patterns and trends can tell you, not just about absence, but about your business, that you can explore with a staff member during an interview:

• If a large number of staff in one department are off sick with similar symptoms, particularly with musculoskeletal conditions, maybe a work process needs addressing. Once data highlights the problem, you can look to tackle it directly, improve workplace safety and mitigate legal risks – it could be as simple as re-training in manual handling or changing the way teams ‘do things’.
• If one department has a high rate of stress absence, it could indicate that the manager or staff need re-training, process changes or additional support as appropriate. For example, studies have shown that first responders such as ambulance crews are especially prone to stress because of the nature of the emergencies they attend. A high absence rate across the team could identify the need for more workplace support.
• If a high number of people have phoned in during a sporting event, it’s worth exploring whether future policy changes, such as allowing staff to watch TV on the background in work, would have made a difference.
• If absence is due to a disability, such as epilepsy or asthma, data can identify if the incidences are increasing – the employee may not have noticed. You could suggest they re-visit their GP for a review, they may need a medication change.

What if data does indicate absenteeism?

If you data patterns show possible absenteeism, with lots of single day absences, especially on a Friday and a Monday, it is worth exploring further before deciding on an outcome. Look at other factors, like attitude and co-operation. There may be home/caring challenges or a disability, or stress you were not aware of.  This pattern indicates the need to investigate further and the return to work interview is your chance to explore.

Combining return to work interviews with data really gives you a chance to make an impact, both at an individual, team and company level – who knew how much power you had at your fingertips!

For those lucky people still on actual holiday, have a great day and enjoy every minute – that’s what annual leave and bank holidays are all about! As for those Line Managers and HR Managers about to conduct their first return to work interview today, we hope it’s a positive one. For those who’ve already swapped their spreadsheets with absence management software, the task will be much easier.

There’s another bank holiday soon…. data is your friend!