What Is Work Absenteeism And How To Prevent It?

What is meant by work absenteeism?

Labor absenteeism , also called labor absenteeism, occurs when a worker does not go to his job without prior notification or does not complete his working day.

This situation produces negative consequences for the rest of the team, since the tasks of the person who is absent must be assumed by other colleagues, thus worsening the work environment and the relationship between the workers. In addition, the lack of productivity of the absent employee also affects the overall performance of the company.

Why does absenteeism occur?

Absenteeism from work can occur for justified reasons such as family reasons, illness, force majeure or personal reasons. However, on many occasions, the reasons why a worker decides not to go to work are related to the operation of the company itself . Some of the most common reasons are the following:

• Lack of effective leadership : working people can feel demotivated due to the absence of a leader who knows how to stimulate them or if clear and achievable goals have not been established.
• Job dissatisfaction: an employed person may be unhappy with the company for which he works due to the lack of incentives and, in general, due to the working conditions in which he finds himself.
• Lack of conciliation : when the balance between professional life and personal and family life is not favored, it is possible that workers are unhappy in their jobs.
• Staff turnover : in unstable work environments and, in particular, in companies where there are constant changes in the workforce, it is common for employees to feel little motivation to come to work.

Below, we give you several tips that will help you prevent the absence of workers during their workday.

Tips to prevent work absenteeism

1. Offer incentives to working people

Create opportunities for growth and career within the company, give freedom to select vacation periods and days off, offer training related to the job, establish a reward system for objectives or review the salary of workers every certain period of time are some of the incentives that you can offer your staff so that they feel valued and, therefore, reduce the chances of absenteeism.

2. Bet on flexibility

To promote work-life balance, you can establish flexible entry and exit times, allow employees to accumulate hours worked that can be redeemed for days off, and facilitate the reduction of working hours and telecommuting.

3. Encourage dialogue

Being able to communicate what is thought, the difficulties that have been encountered in carrying out a task or the achievements that have been achieved is essential for workers to be comfortable and to be respected in their jobs. Making employees feel heard is important to maintaining their satisfaction levels.

4. Streamline the request for absences

Having an agile process for requesting and approving absences is necessary so that workers can have the permits they need to be able to carry out tasks and commitments that do not have to do with their job. Not approving the hours they have requested on time and, above all, not providing a compelling reason why they have not been accepted will cause staff wear and tear.

As we have told you, there are measures that can be implemented to try to prevent absenteeism in your company.

Also Read : How To Correctly Manage An Offboarding Process