preventative measures to avoid absentism

The world is changing today and so is the way to deal with the problems. Hence we need to adopt new methods to curb absenteeism and take it positively. Leaving aside surveillance, interrogation and other more draconian approaches, which no doubt some employers favor, there are preventative measures which employers could take. For example

Ø family friendly policies, from flexible hours to workplace crèches to help employees cope with childcare problems

Ø providing more varied/interesting/responsible work to combat "low morale/boring job" syndrome

Ø compressed working week options to cater positively for those who may need longer weekends

Ø mentoring, counseling, fitness programmes, on-site massage etc to help people through stress, emotional problems or personal problems, plus careful monitoring of workloads.

Ø The Industrial Society suggests other steps organizations could take:

Ø having a clear policy on absence monitoring

Ø training managers to manage attendance

Ø training employees to recognize and manage signs of stress

Ø improving employee motivation through training and development opportunities

Ø Using return-to-work interviews after illness and informal procedures to keep individuals informed and to resolve problems by consensus.

Ø These approaches tackle absenteeism by seeking to reduce the number of absences.

Handling the absenteeism in this way will not only reduce it but also strengthen the employee employer relationship. As the workers will then have sense of belongingness towards the company, the production will increase and the company will see a growth like never before.

HOW TO DEAL WITH ABSENTEEISM

Identifying Excessive Absenteeism

Attendance records should be reviewed regularly to be sure that an employee's sick-leave days are excessive compared to other employees. If a supervisor suspects that an employee is excessively absent, this can be confirmed through reviewing the attendance records.  If all indications show that an employee is excessively absent, the next step is to gather as much information as possible in order to get a clearer picture of the situation. The employees' files should be reviewed and the employees immediate supervisor should document all available information on the particular employee's history.

Individual Communication

After all available information has been gathered, the administrator or supervisor should individually meet with each employee whom has been identified as having higher than average or questionable (or pattern) absences. This first meeting should be used to bring concerns regarding attendance to the employee's attention. It is also an opportunity to discuss with the employee, in some depth, the causes of his or her attendance problem and possible steps he or she can take to remedy or control the absences. Listen carefully to the employee's responses.

The tone of the meeting should not be adversarial, but a major purpose of the interview is to let the employee know that management treats attendance as a very important component of overall work performance. Keep your comments non-threatening and work-oriented. Stick to the facts (i.e. patters, profiles, rates etc.). The employee should be given a copy of there attendance report with absences highlighted for discussion.

This interview will give you the opportunity to explore in depth with the employee the reasons for his or her absence. Gather facts - do not make any assumptions. Provide support and counseling and offer guidance as the occasion demands to assist the employee to deal with the specific cause of the absence.

Often, after the initial meeting employees reduce their absenteeism. The meeting shows that you are concerned and that absenteeism is taken seriously. The employee's attendance should be closely monitored until it has been reduced to acceptable levels. Appropriate counseling should take place as is thought necessary. If a marked improvement has been shown, commend the employee. The meeting should be documented and a copy placed in the employee's file.

Proof of Illness

Sometimes it is helpful in counseling employees with excessive innocent or culpable absenteeism to inquire or verify the nature and reasons of their absence.

The extent to which an employer may inquire into the nature of and reasons for an employee's absence from the workplace is a delicate issue. The concepts of an employee's privacy and an employer's need for information affecting the workplace often come into conflict. Seldom is the conflict more difficult to resolve than where personal medical information is involved.

Unions will often strongly object to any efforts by management to inquire more deeply into the nature of an employee's illness. You will need to consider the restraints of any language in collective agreements in relation to this issue.

Generally speaking, however, the following "rules of thumb" can be derived from the existing jurisprudence:

1.      There is a prevailing right to privacy on the part of an employee unless the employer can demonstrate that its legitimate business interests necessitate some intrusion into the employee's personal affairs.

2.      When such intrusion is justified it should be strictly limited to the degree of intrusion necessitated by the employer's interests.

3.      An employee has a duty to notify his employer of an intended absence, the cause of the absence and its expected duration. This information is required by the employer to meet its legitimate concerns to have at its disposal facts which will enable it to schedule work and organize its operation.

4.      An absent employee has an obligation to provide his employer with information regarding any change to his condition or circumstances relating to it which may affect the employer's needs as described in item #3 above. As such, the interests of the employer in having this information outweighs the individual employee's right to privacy

.

5.      `An employer rule requiring proof for every absence is unreasonable if an absenteeism problem does not exist

6.      A mere assertion by the person claiming to be sick is not satisfactory proof.

7.      The obligation to prove sickness, where the employer requires proof, rests with the employee.

8.      An employer is entitled upon reasonable and probable grounds to refuse to accept a physician's certificate until it contains sufficient information to satisfy the employer's reservations. (i.e. seen by physician, some indication of return to work, etc.). Non-production of a required medical certificate could result in loss of pay until the certificate is produced.

9.      Where a medical certificate is rejected by an employer (as in #8 above) the employer must state the grounds for rejection and must point out to the employee what it requires to satisfy the onus of proof.

10. An employer may require an employee to prove fitness for work where it has reasonable grounds to do so. In a health care setting the nature of the employer's business gives it a reasonably irresistible interest in this personal information for the purpose of assessing fitness.

11. Where any unusual circumstances raise reasonable suspicion that an employee might have committed an abuse of an income protection program an employer may require an employee to explain such circumstances. For example, an employer may require responses as to whether the illness confined an employee to his/her bed or home; whether an employee engaged in any outside activity and the reasons for the activity.

In summary then, any intrusion into the employee's privacy must be shown to be reasonable, based on the individual circumstances and in relation to the operation of the employer's business. If income protection abuse is suspected the extent to which such intrusion is "reasonable" would be far greater than in the case where it is not. If you are not clear on whether an inquiry is legally justified it is advisable to consult your superior.

After the Initial Interview

If after the initial interview, enough time and counseling efforts, as appropriate, have passed and the employee's absenteeism has not improved, it may be necessary to take further action. Further action must be handled with extreme caution - a mistake in approach, timing or severity can be crippling from both an administration and labor relation's point of view.

Determining whether counseling or disciplinary action is appropriate, depends on whether the employee's absences are innocent or culpable. If the employee's absenteeism is made up of both innocent and culpable absences, then each type must be dealt with as a separate issue. In a labor relation's context innocent absenteeism and culpable absenteeism are mutually exclusive. One in no way affects the other.

Counseling Innocent Absenteeism

Innocent absenteeism is not blameworthy and therefore disciplinary action is not justified. It is obviously unfair to punish someone for conduct which is beyond his/her control. Absenteeism, no matter what the cause, imposes losses on the employer who is also not at fault. The damage suffered by the employer must be weighed against the employee's right to be sick. There is a point at which the employer's right to expect the employee to attend regularly and fulfill the employment contract will outweigh the employee's right to be sick. At such a point the termination of the employee may be justified, as will be discussed.

The procedure an employer may take for innocent absenteeism is as follows:

1.      Initial counseling(s)

2.      Written counseling(s)

3.      Reduction(s) of hours and/or job reclassification

4.      Discharge

Initial Counseling

Presuming you have communicated attendance expectations generally and have already identified an employee as a problem, you will have met with him or her as part of your attendance program and you should now continue to monitor the effect of these efforts on his or her attendance. If the absences are intermittent, meet with the employee each time he/she returns to work. If absence is prolonged, keep in touch with the employee regularly and stay updated on the status of his/her condition. (Indicate your willingness to assist.)

You may require the employee to provide you with regular medical assessments. This will enable you to judge whether or not there is any likelihood of the employee providing regular attendance in future. Regular medical assessments will also give you an idea of what steps the employee is taking to seek medical or other assistance. Formal meetings in which verbal warnings are given should be given as appropriate and documented. If no improvement occurs written warning may be necessary.

Written Counseling

If the absences persist, you should meet with the employee formally and provide him/her with a letter of concern. If the absenteeism still continues to persist then the employee should be given a second letter of concern during another formal meeting. This letter would be stronger worded in that it would warn the employee that unless attendance improves, termination may be necessary.

Reduction(s) of hours and or job reclassification

In between the first and second letters the employee may be given the option to reduce his/her hours to better fit his/her personal circumstances. This option must be voluntarily accepted by the employee and cannot be offered as an ultimatum, as a reduction in hours is a reduction in pay and therefore can be looked upon as discipline.

If the nature of the illness or injury is such that the employee is unable to fulfill the requirements of his/her job, but could for example benefit from modified work, counsel the employee to bid on jobs of such type if they become available. (N.B. It is inadvisable to "build" a job around an employee's incapacitates particularly in a unionized environment. The onus should be on the employee to apply for an existing position within his/her capabilities.)

Discharge

Only when all the previously noted needs and conditions have been met and everything has been done to accommodate the employee can termination be considered. An Arbitrator would consider the following in ruling on an innocent absenteeism dismissal case.

1.      Has the employee done everything possible to regain their health and return to work?

2.      Has the employer provided every assistance possible? (i.e. counselling, support, time off.)

3.      Has the employer informed the employee of the unworkable situation resulting from their sickness?

4.      Has the employer attempted to accommodate the employee by offering a more suitable position (if available) or a reduction of hours?

5.      Has enough time elapsed to allow for every possible chance of recovery?

6.      Has the employer treated the employee prejudicially in any way?

As is evident, a great deal of time and effort must elapse before dismissal can take place. These points would be used to substantiate or disprove the following two fold test.

1.      The absences must be shown to be clearly excessive.

2.      It must be proven that the employee will be unable to attend work on a regular basis in the future.

Corrective Action for Culpable Absenteeism

As already indicated, culpable absenteeism consists of absences where it can be demonstrated that the employee is not actually ill and is able to improve his/her attendance.

Presuming you have communicated attendance expectations generally, have identified the employee as a problem, have met with him/her as part of your attendance program, made your concerns on his specific absenteeism known and have offered counselling as appropriate, with no improvement despite your positive efforts, disciplinary procedures may be appropriate.

The procedures for corrective/progressive discipline for culpable absenteeism are generally the same as for other progressive discipline problems. The discipline should not be prejudicial in any way. The general procedure is as follows: [Utilizing counselling memorandum]

1.      Initial Warning(s)

2.      Written Warning(s)

3.      Suspension(s)

4.      Discharge

Verbal Warning

Formally meet with the employee and explain that income protection is to be used only when an employee is legitimately ill. Advise the employee that his/her attendance record must improve and be maintained at an improved level or further disciplinary action will result. Offer any counselling or guidance as is appropriate. Give further verbal warnings as required. Review the employee's income protection records at regular intervals. Where a marked improvement has been shown, commend the employee. Where there is no improvement a written warning should be issued.

Written Warning

Interview the employee again. Show him/her the statistics and point out that there has been no noticeable (or sufficient) improvement. Listen to the employee to see if there is a valid reason and offer any assistance you can. If no satisfactory explanation is given, advise the employee that he/she will be given a written warning.

Be specific in your discussion with him/her and in the counseling memorandum as to the type of action to be taken and when it will be taken if the record does not improve. As soon as possible after this meeting provide the employee personally with the written warning and place a copy of his/her file. The written warning should identify any noticeable pattern

If the amount and/or pattern continues, the next step in progressive discipline may be a second, stronger written warning. Your decision to provide a second written warning as an alternative to proceeding to a higher level of discipline (i.e. suspension) will depend on a number of factors. Such factors are, the severity of the problem, the credibility of the employee's explanations, the employee's general work performance and length of service.

Suspension

(only after consultation with the appropriate superiors) 

If the problem of culpable absenteeism persists, following the next interview period and immediately following an absence, the employee should be interviewed and advised that he/she is to be suspended. The length of the suspension will depend again on the severity of the problem, the credibility of the employee's explanation, the employee's general work performance and length of service. Subsequent suspensions are optional depending on the above condition.

Dismissal

(only after consultation with the appropriate superiors) 

Dismissals should only be considered when all of the above conditions and procedures have been met. The employee, upon displaying no satisfactory improvement, would be dismissed on the grounds of his/her unwillingness to correct his/her absence record. 

Absenteeism Monologue

Absenteeism is the phenomenon when an employee constantly or continuously fails to attend work as scheduled. In particular when their absence forms a pattern which suggests that the employee is dissatisfied with their work or that their absence could have been avoided.

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Frequent absence from the workplace may be indicative of poor morale or of sick building syndrome. However, many employers have implemented absence policies which make no distinction between absences for genuine illness and absence for inappropriate reasons.

One of these policies is the calculation of the Bradford factor, which only takes the total number and frequency of absences into account, not the kind of absence. As a result, many employees feel obliged to come to work while ill, and transmit communicable diseases to their co-workers.  This leads to even greater absenteeism and reduced productivity among other workers who try to work while ill.

Work forces often do excuse absenteeism caused by medical reasons if the worker supplies a doctor's note or other form of documentation. Sometimes, however, in the workforce, people choose not to show up for work and do not call in advance, which most businesses find to be unprofessional and inconsiderate. This is called a no call, no show

ABSENTEEISM A CRITICAL ISSUE:

Employee absenteeism is most critical issue facing corporate leaders as a result of the shortage of skilled labor, economic growth and employee turnover. I tried to explore all aspects of the workforce stability issue in the face of unprecedented churning in the employment market with a focus on retaining employees.

Today's labor force is different. Supervisors must take responsibility for their own employee absenteeism. A wise employer will learn how to attract and keep good employees, because in the long run, this workforce will make or break a company's reputation.

Specific strategies aimed at overcoming the causes of high turnover and creating methods to improve employee absenteeism have important payoffs for organizations. Some studies have shown that reducing turnover by 10 percent is more valuable than increasing productivity by 10 percent or reducing actual inventories by 10 percent. Other studies have indicated that just reducing turnover from the industry average to that of the industry's top 10 percent of companies can increase profits by as much as 50 percent

Because of the tremendous cost of high turnover (both direct and indirect), any effort to lower it can have a tremendous payoff, particularly when the value of the turnover reduction is compared with the cost of the solution. Turnover reduction studies have shown the actual return-on-investment to be as high as 1,000 percent (Phillips, 1994, 1997, and 2001), when the actual monetary benefits from the reduced turnover are compared to the actual cost of the solution used to reduce that turnover.

Managing turnover is a constant challenge for any organization, and awareness of the issue has heightened in the last decade.  Employee absenteeism involves being sensitive to people's needs and demonstrating the various strategies in the five families detailed under following heads:

Ø Environmental

Ø Relationship

Ø Support

Ø Growth

TYPES OF ABSENTEEISM

There are two types of absenteeism, each of which requires a different type of approach.

1. Innocent Absenteeism            2. Culpable Absenteeism

1. Innocent Absenteeism

Innocent absenteeism refers to employees who are absent for reasons beyond their control; like sickness and injury. Innocent absenteeism is not culpable which means that it is blameless. In a labour relations context this means that it cannot be remedied or treated by disciplinary measures.

2. Culpable Absenteeism

Culpable absenteeism refers to employees who are absent without authorization for reasons which are within their control. For instance, an employee who is on sick leave even though he/she is not sick, and it can be proven that the employee was not sick, is guilty of culpable absenteeism. To be culpable is to be blameworthy. In a labour relations context this means that progressive discipline can be applied.

For the large majority of employees, absenteeism is legitimate, innocent absenteeism which occurs infrequently. Procedures for disciplinary action apply only to culpable absenteeism. Many organizations take the view that through the process of individual absentee counseling and treatment, the majority of employees will overcome their problems and return to an acceptable level of regular attendance.

COST OF UNSHEDULED ABSENTEEISM

With the cost of last-minute employee no-shows climbing, employers are still struggling to find effective programs that keep healthy workers on the job, according to the 15 th annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey by CCH INCORPORATED (CCH).

The 2005 survey found that while the rate of unscheduled absenteeism barely budged since last year, the average per-employee cost has risen to  great extent per employee – costing employers over $1 some large million per year.

What may be of most concern to employers is that almost two out of three employees who fail to show up for work aren’t physically ill.. It was found out that  Personal Illness accounts for only 35 percent of unscheduled absences, while 65 percent of absences are due to other reasons, including Family Issues (21 percent), Personal Needs (18 percent), Entitlement Mentality (14 percent) and Stress (12 percent).

The CCH survey found that both the Entitlement Mentality and Stress numbers are higher in 2005 than in the previous two years (Entitlement Mentality: 2004, 10 percent; 2003, 13 percent. Stress: 11 percent in 2004 and 2003.)  “Lean staffing levels over the past several years have intensified workloads for those employees who avoided layoffs. Now that the labor market is opening up, those survivors may not be as fearful of losing their jobs and may be taking the mental health breaks they feel they deserve.  “Employers may even see a ‘culture of entitlement’ emerge as the economy strengthens further.”

According to the 2005 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, conducted for CCH by Harris Interactive, the absenteeism rate was 2.3 percent in 2005 down slightly from 2.4 percent last year.  The survey only measures direct payroll costs for paid, unproductive time.

The high cost of absenteeism hurts organizations even more when other costs, such as lost productivity, morale and temporary labor costs, are considered. Companies with low morale saw higher rates and costs of unscheduled absences. The rate of unscheduled absenteeism is twice as high at companies with Poor/Fair morale (3.2 percent) than those with Good/Very Good morale (1.5 percent).

The main issue surrounding this is that of management. Much work has been done relating to how best to manage human resources. Management is an inexact science because of the very fact that humans are involved and what might work in one situation and with one group of people will not work in another situation.

There are a number of key management thinkers that have shaped business development over the past 50 years. Hammer and Champy developed the notion of re-engineering, Christopher Argyris and Peter Senge are known for organisational learning, Michael Porter, Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad on competitive advantage, Henry Mintzberg on strategic planning, Stephen Covey on the 'habits' of successful people, and Tom Peters, Charles Handy and Peter Drucker on the links between business, work and society.

Successive Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have adopted some or all of the various theories developed by these thinkers with varying degrees of success. One can read of how ideas have been put into practice at various companies that subsequently seem to have lost their way. Who would hold up accountancy firm Arthur Andersen as a model of management success? Some did prior to the Enron scandal!

The issues relating to absenteeism raise a number of key leadership challenges. If a worker claims to be suffering from flu on Monday but is in work on Tuesday and seems to have few symptoms of post flu illness, how does the manager respond? If you accuse the worker of lying, you could be faced with a very unpleasant situation. Monitoring staff absence can cause resentment and accusations of harassment. Some people may give reasons for absence that hide personal problems which they do not want the business to know about. All these factors make the policies that firms have in place to manage absenteeism crucial.

One solution to the problem may be through education. Many workers, it appears, do not understand the costs they are imposing on a business through absenteeism. This relates to the principle of opportunity cost - the cost expressed not in money terms but in the sacrifice that has to be made as a result of the decision. In this case, the opportunity cost of the decision to 'have a day off' is the lost output, the disruption to the business, the extra work taken on by a colleague and so on.

Other solutions could be based on making the division between work and life more balanced through giving workers more control over their lives. This might take the form of the way staff are monitored and supervised, how far they have flexibility in organizing their working life through home working, distributed working or flexible working patterns for example, through to job enrichment schemes, cell production and changing the working environment, for example, having a 'dress down Friday'.

The answer is likely to lie in a combination of factors - many of which have already been highlighted by the great management thinkers. Such theories are helpful when put into the context of the specific business. If, however, a particular system or process appears to work for company X it does not mean that that system can be lifted and transferred in its entirety to company Y.

The dynamics of every institution and workplace is different and the skilled leader will be adept in recognizing the characteristics and peculiarities of their workplace and be able to implement schemes that work for her or his employees. Even if such systems work initially, it is likely that they will have to change regularly because the personnel will change and present a new set of dynamics in the organization

Absenteeism in Indian industries

Absenteeism in Indian industries is not a new phenomenon. It is the manifestation of a decision by employees not to present themselves at their place of work, at a time when it is planned by the management that they should be in attendance. Many research reports reveal that there has been a phenomenal increase in absenteeism in some industrial sectors.

The absenteeism becomes a problem to organizational management particularly when employees absent from their work environment without giving sufficient notice and by justifying their stand by furnishing fake reasons.

The reasons for absenteeism are many. The factors contributing to absenteeism from work includes individual and environmental factors. These consists of sickness, accidents, occupational diseases, poor production planning (flow of work), bad working conditions and inadequate welfare conditions, lack of trained laborers, insecurity in employment, collective bargaining process, rigid control system, lack of supervisory support, lack of interest, lack of cohesive and cordial culture and so on.

The individual reasons may vary from organization to organization depending upon the organizational climate, employee's attitude and influence of external organizational factors (market forces, social activities that influence the industrial culture prevailing in geographical zone etc.). 

THE PROBLEM

High rate of absenteeism is neither desirable to employers nor good for the employees. In majority of organizations, high rate of absenteeism has an adverse effect on quality and quantity of production, efficiency of workers and organization, organizational discipline and more importantly on the organization's intention to fulfill the new market demands.

The absenteeism develops a considerable loss to organization because work schedules gets upset and delayed and management has to provide overtime wages to meet the delivery dates.  The causes of absenteeism, its effect on productivity and cost in terms of finance and administrative effectiveness are quite clear, but what is unclear is how to take affirmative action to control absenteeism.

This should be done in such a way as not to develop mistrust, costly administration and system avoidance. Traditional methods of absenteeism control based on disciplinary procedure have proven to be ineffective and have failed to motivate the work force to meet organizational demands to compete at a global level.

Unless management identifies and addresses the actual factors that influence employees to remain absent from work, it will be difficult for the organization to remain competitive at national and international levels. It is therefore imperative to probe into micro and macro aspects of organizational absenteeism to meet organizations long term cherished goals.

Ø The levels of absenteeism and reasons for its occurrence are dependent on many variables in an organizational environment. This particular research identifies seven key factors that affect the absence rate for employees.  These seven factors can be detailed as follows;

              

Ø Family circumstances

Ø The physical Health of the worker

Ø The work environment

Ø The degree of job stress

Ø Employer employee relations

Ø Union Coverage

Ø Work Schedules

Absenteeism has the potential to cause numerous impacts upon an organization; these include lost productivity, poorer quality of product / service, decreased customer satisfaction, and a negative effect on the performance/morale of other employees.

Other operational consequences of absenteeism include greater financial costs to the employer, as well as a greater employee workload. Each of these impacts has the potential to cripple an organization's operational ability, and seriously undermine its efforts to stay competitive or viable. Hence it is necessary to develop effective strategies to curb the absenteeism in Indian organizations.

According to the 2006 SFA Absenteeism Report, small businesses in Ireland lose more than €692 million a year through employee absence. The report found small firms to be losing on average seven days a year per employee. Though this compares favorably with large organizations, which average 11 days, the costs incurred by small business are nonetheless significant and remain a problem area for many.

To tackle the issue, the small business owner must first analyze absence levels in their organization, consider the costs involved, and then engage in absence-preventing activities and strategies on a proactive basis. As part of this, it is vital to put into place effective procedures for the recording and measurement of absenteeism.

As with any analysis it is imperative that the organization carries out a ‘‘like for like’’ comparison and so a definition of what constitutes absence must be well established. In its Absenteeism Report the SFA defines absence as: ‘‘unscheduled disruption of the work process due to days lost as a result of sickness or any other cause not excused through statutory entitlement or company approval’’.

Recording

Having defined what constitutes absence the organization must put into place effective measures for its recording. A key part of this is deciding with whom this responsibility lies. The options are to take a centralized approach with a designated person recording absence across the organization or, alternatively, responsibility may lie with each line manager/supervisor.

In either case it is vital that the principals of data protection are complied with. The person with responsibility for absence recording must be aware of the kinds of questions that are appropriate to ask. Similarly employees must be made aware of the timeframe in which unscheduled absence should be reported. They need to know to whom they must report, what information should be provided and the procedures regarding the submission of certification where appropriate.

Their obligation to remain in regular contact with the organization during periods of prolonged absence should also be identified. The accurate recording of absence will provide the organization with valuable information for use in identifying problems with particular individuals, departments, problem times and types with a view to identifying patterns.

Measurement

With an effective structure in place for recording absenteeism, the organization can consider using the information gathered with a view to analysis and measurement.

Quantifying absence means putting into place a mechanism that will impartially and uniformly identify acceptable levels of absence. One of the most commonly used measures is the absence rate, calculated as the time lost due to, or ascribed to, sickness absence as a percentage of contracted working time in a defined period, as follows:

TOTAL DAYS LOST = number of days absence in period under investigation ———————————————————— x 100 = ?? (total number of employees) X (total number of work days available)

In measuring absence it is also useful to consider the number of ‘‘spells’’ of absence, defined as a period of time, anything from a day to a year. This will enable the organization to determine the frequency and durations of absences. With many organizations greater disruption is caused by frequent short-term absences, due to the fact that it is often easier to plan for longer-term absences.

The Bradford Score allows the organization measure the irregularity of attendance by combining frequency and duration as measures of absence. The Bradford Score is calculated by multiplying the square number of absences by the total number of working days lost, as follows:

BRADFORD SCORE (S2 x D) = ?? Where S = number of spells of absence in the last defined period, D = total number of days absence in the last defined period

An organization can use the above measures as appropriate and as long as they are applied consistently they should prove to be useful in identifying problem individuals and areas that require further attention.

It is important to note, however, these indications should be never used alone in instigating disciplinary act ion. Further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the absences is always necessary. While the recording and measurement of absence may seen like an onerous task for the small employer, it is important to remember the costs any organization will incur due to unscheduled absence.

In cash terms alone the SFA calculates that absenteeism will cost small businesses with sick pay schemes an estimated €692million per annum, based on average earnings of €120 per day. This estimation takes no account of other direct costs incurred by absence. These include replacement costs and overtime as well as indirect costs such as effect on productivity and quality and the increased work pressure on colleagues.

Absent does not only mean not being at work. Absent also means…

Ø Arriving late (or poor timekeeping) can also be  considered as absenteeism as long as the employee is not at work.

Ø Leaving early(again poor timekeeping):  It is still absent if he is not at   work

Ø Extended tea or lunch breaks - the employee is not at the workstation, and therefore absent.

Ø Attending to private business during working hours - the employee is at work, but is not attending to his/her duties in terms of the employment contract - and is therefore absent. 

Ø Extended toilet breaks - same as extended lunch or tea breaks. 

Ø Feigned illness - thus giving rise to unnecessary visits to the on-site clinic, or take time off to "visit the doctor" - which they never do, because they don't need a medical certificate for less than 2 days off. 

Ø Undue length of time in fetching or carrying tools from the tool room, for example, or drawings from the drawing office, etc.

Ø Other unexplained absences from the workstation or from the premises.

There are a number of remedies- a large number, in fact - that can be used to combat this scourge.

CAUSES OF ABSENTEEISM

Absenteeism results most often from health and personal reasons, but the fact is that only about a third of absences are caused by personal illness. The survey shows that more than half of unscheduled absences are justified by family issues, personal needs, stress and an entitlement mentality.

Although an organization’s culture is considered the most significant reason for increased employee absenteeism rates, the survey shows the increase also is fueled by a decrease in the number of sick days allowed in a year and because more employers are not allowing unused sick days to be carried over to the following year.

Identifying the root of unscheduled absenteeism within an organization is the first step in developing an integrated management and prevention plan. Addressing absences and work-life issues is critical to reducing unscheduled absences as well as improving or retaining a workforce’s productivity.

Lets take look at the main reasons of absenteeism:

1, Serious accidents and illness: The employees are humans. They live in the world and tend to fall sick if they happen to contract a disease. Other reason for absence can be if they come across a serious accident while on duty or off duty. Such absenteeism is justified and  the company can not do anything about it.

2.Low morale: Employees want creative, challenging, and useful work, a desire that has been evolving for many years. For many people, their jobs are their "identities"—who they are. They have a need to use their minds and make a significant contribution. If they cannot achieve this then this will lower their morale and they will loose interest in coming to office resulting in absenteeism.

3. Poor working conditions: The office also plays a very important role in maintaining the employees interest in the office. For example if the work place is not hygienic and keeps dirty most of the time the employee will not feel like sitting there and will absent himself now and then. This will again result in increased absenteeism.

4. Boredom on the job: A recent development is the desire to acquire new skills and skill sets. Employees want to learn new technologies, processes, and projects and develop all types of skills, particularly in the technical area. Employees want to do a challenging job however if they have to do the same monotonous job everyday then again they will loose interest in the work and would like to stay away from office and invest their time in something better and spend time with their families.

5. Lack of job satisfaction: Employees want creative, challenging, and useful work, a desire that has been evolving for many years. For many people, their jobs are their "identities"—who they are. They have a need to use their minds and make a significant contribution. This gives them job satisfaction. If a job fails to do so then they have a reason not to attend the office.

6. Inadequate leadership and poor supervision: Sometimes the experienced employees are put under a supervisor whom they do not consider so capable and when he instructs them, they develop an ego problem and do not like to work under him and thus they absent themselves. Another reason is , the supervisor is not  capable enough to handle the workers and they just don’t turn up thinking what can he do.

7. Personal problems (financial, marital, substance abuse, child care etc.) Employees being a part of this society fall in to the problems of this world and sometimes absent themselves. Some workers are single parents , others are the sole care takers of the family so they have to pay attention to family along with the work. Sometime the problem in the family is so big that they are not able to spare time for office. Like if a family member is seriously ill and there is no one to take care.

Other reason is that the employee is in to substance abuse and drug abuse. Such employees will always create trouble for the office and never take interest I work thus absent themselves.

8. Poor physical fitness: Some employees are very week internally i.e. they don’t have a good immunity in their bodies hence they fall sick every now and then . Thus these people have genuine reason however this is bad for the organization as the production of the company might get hit.

9. Transportation problems: There are employees who reside far away from the workplace and take long time to reach office. These employees usually come across problems with the transport. Like if they happen to miss the company bus end they do not get other means transportation then they will stay away from office. Other reson may be a blocked roads or a flood. In these cases these employees will not be able to make it to the office resulting in absenteeism.

10. Benefits which continue income during periods of illness or accident.) : There some employee benefits given by the company if employee is sick. Some employee misuse this benefit. They know that they will continue to get salary if they can prove that he was ill hence they provide fake certificates to keep getting benefits from the company without doing any work.

11. Stress: The reasons people get stressed out because of work can be many and varied. However, the more common reasons cited have tended to be related to employers and supervisors who are very authoritarian and inflexible.

They often don’t listen to the workers, do not communicate very well, adopt a blame culture when things go wrong, speak down to workers and generally want things done their way or no way at all.

This can all result in a increased absenteeism, low staff morale, employee burnout and genuine illnesses such as headaches and backaches brought on by the stress so, even though workers will usually give another reason for their absence, some kind of stress-related problem will usually be at the root of it.

12. Workload: The disruptive nature of absenteeism  is amplified when employees are forced to take on the workload of absent colleagues or address problems associated with their absenteeism.

When this happens the employees who are regular start baering the brunt and they start feeling why should they do the others persons work when they are not getting any benefit out of it.

There can be a stage when these regular employees also start thinking that it is better to stay absent than to work , tooil hard and get nothing out of it. If this situation arises then the work will take hit and company will get  affected causing serious problems.

13. Employee discontent with the work environment:

In most organizations, Absenteeism  creates a burdensome amount of administrative effort, not only in additional paperwork, but also in time spent confronting and addressing absenteeism -related problems. This takes precious time away from more important, productive responsibilities. If an employee is over burdened then this employee will no longer like to work. He will often complaint and make other workers also dissatisfied and create an unhealthy work environment.

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF ABSSENTEEISM ON THE ORGANIZATION

Although every manager and team member is aware of problems associated with high turnover, a review of its major consequences puts employee absenteeism in the proper perspective. Nine categories frame the major negative consequences.

1.      High financial cost. Turnover has a huge economic impact on the organization, both in direct and indirect costs. The performance of companies has been inhibited in many ways by high employee absenteeism. Sometimes the cost alone causes turnover to become a critical strategic issue.

2.      Survival is an issue. In a tight labor market in which the company depends on having employees with critical skills, recruiting and retaining the appropriate talent  and making them come to the organization during working days can determine the success or failure of the organization.

3.      Problems and issues. With increased litigation in the workplace, many organizations spend significant time and resources addressing the issues of disgruntled employees who absent themselves very frequently. Some individuals find the need to involve the legal system, presenting the organization with the challenge of dealing with an even bigger problem

4.      Productivity losses and workflow interruptions. In most turnover situations, a person who absents himself abruptly leaves a productivity gap. This void not only causes problems for the specific job performed by the absent employee, but also for others on the same team and within the same flow of work.

5.      Service quality. Because there is so much emphasis on providing excellent service to external as well as internal customers, high absenteeism has a tremendously negative impact on the quality of customer service. Absenteeism  of front-line employees is often regarded as the most serious threat to providing excellent external customer service.

6.      Loss of expertise. Particularly in knowledge industries, an absent employee may have the critical skills needed for working with specific software, completing a step in an important process, or carrying out a task for a project. Sometimes, an entire product line may suffer because of one absent employee.

7.      Loss of business opportunities. Absenteeism may result in a shortage of staff for a project or leave the remaining staff unprepared to take advantage of a new business opportunity. Existing projects or contracts may be lost or late because a key player is not available.

8.      Administrative problems. In most organizations, Absenteeism  creates a burdensome amount of administrative effort, not only in additional paperwork, but also in time spent confronting and addressing absenteeism -related problems. This takes precious time away from more important, productive responsibilities.

9.      Disruption of social and communication networks. In every organization there is an informal network. Absenteeism disrupts the communication and socialization patterns that are critical to maintaining teamwork and a productive work environment.

10. Job satisfaction of remaining employees. The disruptive nature of turnover is amplified when employees are forced to take on the workload of absent colleagues or address problems associated with their absenteeism.

These are very significant, negative consequences. With this much impact, excessive absenteeism  should command the attention of everyone in the organization

WAYS TO CURB ABSENTEEISM

According to the most recent CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, employers are losing ground when it comes to keeping workers on the job. Unscheduled absenteeism rates have risen to their highest level since 1999. What continues to be of most concern is that almost two out of three employees who don’t show up for work aren’t physically ill.

For most companies, the responsibility for managing absenteeism has fallen primarily on immediate supervisors. These supervisors are often the only people who are aware that a certain employee is absent.

They are in the best position to understand the circumstances surrounding an individual’s absence and to notice a problem at an early stage. Therefore, their active involvement in the company’s absence procedures is pivotal to the overall effectiveness and future success of an absence policy or program.

Sadly, however, most supervisors have not received any guidance or training in managing absenteeism. They have been left on their own to carry out the often unpopular task of identifying, confronting and resolving absence abuse. 

To ensure that supervisors are comfortable and competent in their role of managing absenteeism, they need to have the full support of senior management. All parties must be aware of the aim of absence policies and procedures. Should there be discrepancies between departments; a policy can lose its effectiveness.

To provide more consistency, supervisors should be trained in their responsibilities about managing absenteeism, advised how to conduct effective return-to-work interviews, and educated in the use of disciplinary procedures when necessary.

The Responsibilities of the Supervisor

In addition to ensuring that work is appropriately covered during the employee’s absence, there are a number of other critical actions that supervisors need to take to manage absenteeism. They should:

Ø ensure that all employees are fully aware of the organization’s policies and procedures for dealing with absence,

Ø be the first point of contact when an employee phones in sick,

Ø maintain appropriately detailed, accurate, and up-to-date absence records for their staff, (e.g., date, nature of illness/reason for absence, expected return to work date, doctor’s certification if necessary),

Ø identify any patterns or trends of absence which cause concern,

Ø conduct return-to-work interviews, and

Ø implement disciplinary procedures where necessary.

 

The Return-to-Work Interview

The training of supervisors in how to best manage absenteeism should include instruction on how to conduct effective and fair return-to-work interviews. Recent national surveys indicate that these interviews are regarded as one of the most effective tools for managing short-term absenteeism1.

The return-to-work discussion will enable the supervisor to welcome the employee back to work, in addition to demonstrating management’s strong commitment to controlling and managing absenteeism in the workplace. The interview will enable a check to be made that the employee is well enough to return to work.

The necessary paperwork can be completed, so that the absence and its conclusion are properly recorded. The fact that an established procedure is in place to investigate and discuss absence with an employee may, on its own, act as a deterrent for non-attendance for disingenuous reasons.

Interviews need to be carried out as promptly as possible following the absentee’s return to work (no later than one day after his or her return). The employee should be given ample opportunity to outline the reasons for his or her absence. The supervisor should use the interview as a time to explore any issues that the employee may have which are leading to absence.

The goal is to foster an open and supportive culture. The procedures are in place to make sure that help and advice is offered when needed and to ensure that the employee is fit to return to work. Employees will usually appreciate the opportunity to explain genuine reasons for absence within a formalized structure. Should the supervisor doubt the authenticity of the reasons given for absence, he/she should use this opportunity to express any doubts or concerns.

At all times, the employee must be aware that the interview is not merely part of company procedures, but a significant meeting during which the absence has been noted and may have implications for future employment. The company’s disciplinary procedure, in the event of unacceptable levels of absence, should be explained to the employee.

The manager may choose to outline how the absence affected the department. The message should be that the employee was missed and that productivity suffered. The manner in which the department was required to reorganize staffing arrangements might also be explained. This would demonstrate that the efficiency of the work unit was adversely affected by the absence.

The supervisor should then brief the returning employee about the current situation (i.e., what tasks are now priorities, what work has already been carried out and where the employee should now focus his/her efforts).

At no point during the meeting should the interview become a form of “punishment,” but should be seen as an occasion to highlight and explain the repercussions of absence within the department. The vast majority of employees derive a sense of pride and achievement from their work and management should be encouraged to treat these individuals as responsible adults.

Most employees understand reasonable rules and do not want to be threatened into compliance. The small percentage of employees who indeed have an absence problem will require close supervision and possibly even punitive measures for excessive absenteeism. These few employees who are irresponsible should be handled individually and firmly.

To handle these employees the following methods can be used:

1.      Change Management Style: We are all aware of the fact that when employees call in ill, it does not mean they are truly too physically ill to work. One reason, outside of illness, that employees are absent is stress, and the number one reason employees are stressed has to do with their relationship with their manager/supervisor.

Management styles that are too authoritarian tend to promote high levels of absenteeism among employees. Authoritarian managers are managers who have poor listening skills, set unreachable goals, have poor communication skills, and are inflexible. In other words, they yell too much, blame others for problems, and make others feel that it must be their way or the "highway." Authoritarian managers tend to produce high absenteeism rates.

      By identifying managers who use an authoritarian style, and providing                 them with management training, we would be taking a positive step not only toward reducing absenteeism, but also reducing turnover, job burnout, and employee health problems such as backaches and headaches.

2.Change Working Conditions: The employees in the company probably work in a well-lighted climate controlled building. The working conditions referred to relate to coworker relationships. Not only does relationship stress occur between the employee and manager, but it also exists between employees. Frequently we hear employees say they did not go to work because they are fearful of or angry with another employee. These employees usually report they just could not deal with "so and so" today, so they called in ill. Companies that adopted policies and values that promote employee respect and professionalism, and promote an internal conflict resolution procedure, are companies that reduce employee stress. A reduction in employee stress reduces employee absenteeism.

3. Provide Incentives: Giving employees incentives for reduced absenteeism is not the same as rewarding or giving employees bonuses for reduced absenteeism. An incentive provides an employee with a boost to their motivation to avoid unnecessary absenteeism. It simply helps the employee decide to go to work versus staying home and watching Jerry Springer.

The types of incentive programs used by companies are numerous. Some companies allow employees to cash-in unused sick days at the end of every quarter, others give an employee two hours of bonus pay for every month of perfect attendance; and still others provide employees with a buffet lunch, a certificate of achievement, or even a scratch-off card concealing prizes. The type of incentive program that your company uses should be one created especially for your company. You can create an incentive program tailored to your unique company by allowing employees to help you develop the incentive program..

The duration of the incentive program is also very important. Once again allow the employees to help guide the company  to determine the length of time between incentives. Some companies find that they can simply reward employees with perfect attendance once a year, while others decide once a month is best, and still others decide once a week works best. The general rule of thumb is to reward workers more frequently the younger they are and the more difficult the work is to perform. Also, it is best to start with small incentives and work up to larger ones if necessary.

4. Develop an Attendance Policy: Every company should have an attendance policy. An attendance policy allows a manager to intervene with an employee who is frequently absent. Besides stress as a primary reason for employee absenteeism, other causes relate to alcoholism, domestic violence, and family problems. If you confront an employee about his or her frequent absenteeism, and they inform you it is due to personal problems, consider referring the employee to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

If the employee's absenteeism relates to a medical problem or a family member with a medical problem, you may have to consider allowing the employee to use the benefits allowed to them under the health policy or the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Early identification of these employees will get them back to work as fast as possible. Lastly, make sure that you have an attorney review your attendance policy to make sure it does not violate any State or Federal labor laws. By incorporating the above four strategies into the  company will be able to reduce absenteeism ,employee burnout, turnover, poor morale, and workplace negativism

The duty of the employee to be at work 

The very basis of the employment contract (whether written or not) is that the employee has to:

[a] come to work

[b] be on time

in order to perform the duties which he/she has been hired to do, and he/she must remain at the workstation for the contracted number of hours per day in order to perform the requisite duties. If the employee does not do that, he/she cannot fulfill his/her contractual obligation, and is therefore in breach of contract.   This obligation - to come to work and stay on the job whilst at work - does not only come out of the Employment Contract. It arises also from three other sources - Common Law, Statutes, and Company Rules and Regulations. 

COMMON LAW RELATED TO ABSENTEEISM

Common Law is not laws that have been legislated by Parliament, but rather arise mainly from Court judgments and general practice and precedent. It is law that has developed over the years, and is what people have come to accept as recognized norms and standards, and which are enforced by our Courts.

An employee has a number of obligations under common law which he/she must meet, and it should be noted that these obligations exist even if they are not specifically stated in the Contract of Employment:

Ø to provide the employer with his labor - i.e. to be at work.

Ø to obey reasonable and lawful instructions.

Ø  to act in good faith. [ to protect his employer's interests.]

Ø  not to misconduct himself/herself. [to behave properly according to the accepted norms of society]

Ø to perform his duties.[to work in a satisfactory manner] 

For the purpose of this subject, the most important is the first Common Law rule - to provide the employer with his labour. To do this, the employee must not only come to work - he/she must come to work on time, and be at the workstation during the agreed hours - even if the employer has no work for him to do.

That may sound a bit strange, but remember that the employer is paying the employee to come to work and be at the workstation, even if the employer has no work for him/her to do. If the employee was paid only for work done then he/she would be entitled to leave the workstation if there was no work to be done. But that is not usually the case.

If the employee does not do these things, he/she may well be in breach of his/her Common Law conditions of his/her employment contract and is potentially an ex-employee. 

There is a further legal concept that bears mention - this is the Principle of Unjust Enrichment. What it means, very simply, is that "nobody may be enriched at the expense of another".

The contract of employment provides  (perhaps not in as many words, but certainly by implication) that the employee shall offer his/her services and that the employer shall pay him/her for such services.

If the employee does not provide those services (because of absenteeism) then it is unfair for the employer to have to pay for something that is his contractual right to receive. It is equally unfair for the employee to benefit - by means of being paid - for something he/she did not do in terms of the Employment Contract.

Put differently, it means very simply: no work - no pay.

 Statute Law

This differs from Common Law in that Statute Law is law that has been legislated by Parliament or some other law making body.

Statute Law usually prescribes limits, sets levels and specifies minimum standards, and specifies contractual terms not covered by Common Law. The statutes which concern us are the Labour Relations Act, The Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act, the Skills Development Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Wage Determinations, various Industrial Council Main Agreements, Collective Agreements and so on.

The Labour Law Practitioner may also deal occasionally with the Close Corporations Act (which contains special disciplinary procedures for enforcing disciplinary measures against members), the Insolvency Act, the Public Service Act, and perhaps a few others.

 So as can be seen, Statute Law is very involved.

The difference is this - under Common Law, you could probably enter into an Employment Contract whereby the employee would have to work 15 hours a day, take 10 minutes for lunch, work 7 days a week, get 5 days leave a year, and not be paid for any sick leave, and be fired any time you feel like it. However, because of the protective effect of Statute Law, such a contract would be illegal even if the employee agreed to it.

You cannot enter into any agreement or contract that contains any condition less favorable to any party to the agreement than the corresponding condition contained in any relevant Statute. Any such contract or agreement is unenforceable, as many employers have discovered to their cost. Statute Law in general sets out to protect the employee and ensure that the employer does not take advantage of him/her.

Statute Law is important when dealing with unauthorized absenteeism, because it specifies when an employee may legally absent himself/herself from the workplace, irrespective of any condition contained in the Employment Contract or Company Rules and Regulations.

 COMPANY POLICY ON ABSENTEEISM

This is a set of rules which apply to your own Company only, and may not conflict with the conditions of any Statute unless the Company rule is more favorable to the employee than the corresponding condition in the Statute. For example, the BCEA stipulates a minimum of 15 days paid leave per annum. The Company can give 20 days per annum if they wish, but they may not give only 10 days. So how do we combat unauthorized absenteeism ? We do it using the tools at our disposal

Ø The Employment Contract Employers are petrified of issuing a written Employment Contract. All Employment Contracts should be in writing. It is the best way, the only way.

Ø The Labour Relations Act 

Ø The Basic Conditions of Employment Act. 

Ø Common Law. 

Ø Company Rules and Regulations. 

There are some important rules to remember:  

Ø always record any interviews with offenders in writing.

Ø  the onus is on the employee to prove that the absence was justified.

Ø  the employee may produce reasons, and a reason may even be valid - but despite being valid, it can still be unacceptable. For example, if an employee is late every day for a week because the trains are late due to stolen cables, this may well be true - perhaps the cables were stolen, so the reason for being late is valid. But you do not have to accept it as justification for being late and thus excuse the late-coming.

The rule is that the Company has certain working hours - how the employee gets to work is his/her problem, not yours.

Absence from Work

Absence where the employee does not turn up for work at all can sometimes be the most difficult type of absenteeism to handle - simply because there can be a host of reasons for this, and you will have to sift out the truth from the B.S. before deciding what action to take. Remember though that the employee must justify the absence.

This type of absence may be due to personal problems - sick wife, sick kids, urgent financial crisis, death in the family or death of a close relative, or some other domestic crisis that requires the employee to stay at home to handle it. Under such circumstances, the employee should notify you by telephone, by a message delivered with another employee, by a telephone call from a friend to you, by a runner with a cleft stick, or some means

It is very seldom that there is just no means whatsoever of notifying the employer of the absence - the usual excuse (totally unacceptable) is that "there was no telephone." This is nonsense, and must be rejected outright unless the employee lives in Borneo or on top of Mt. Everest. However, should the employee fail to notify you of the reason for the absence within a reasonable time, the failure to do so only renders the absence more serious - and the employee, if absent for more than 3 days ( in some cases 5 days ) may well find that he/she has been dismissed for desertion.

Note also that even if the employee does notify you that he will be absent for the day, such notification does not mean that the absence is now authorized. You may decide to treat the absence as authorized and pay the employee for the period absent, or you may decide to authorize it but treat it as unpaid leave. It will depend on the circumstances.

Whatever happens, the event must be recorded in the employee's file, you must have a short counseling session with the employee (again recorded) and you must follow Company disciplinary procedures, if any. If the reason advanced for the

absenteeism is unacceptable to you, then issue a written warning to that effect and make the warning valid for 12 months.  The record keeping is vital in the event that the employee becomes a habitual absentee, and you need to dismiss at some future stage. 

The absence could also be due to some uncontrollable event - heavy rains flood his house, or even the entire village, a tornado or cyclone (not uncommon these days in certain parts of the R.S.A.), roads washed away, telephones out of order, rail strike, etc.

However, with such events you will almost certainly know about them because they will be reported on the radio and T.V., so the reason for the absence is obviously valid and acceptable. Despite this, you still are not obliged to pay the employee - you must decide on that. Remember the principles of no work - no pay, and also "how you get to work is your problem" But be reasonable and fair.

For example, there may be other employees who live in the same stricken area, but who did come to work - albeit late. In that case, you would take a more unsympathetic view of any who stayed away altogether. 

Ø Unrest, Violence and political stay-away is becoming more infrequent these days - but calls by the Unions for national strikes and stay-always are not so. 

A good policy to adopt is that quite simply, any absence because of unrest, violence, political stay-away or national strike or stay-away will be treated as unpaid leave. 

Ø Deliberate and willful absenteeism is when the employee does not come to work because he just feels like a day off - no other reason. There is usually a pattern, such as the employee is always absent on payday or the day after payday - or is always absent on a Monday or a Friday (not necessarily every Friday and every Monday, but when he/she is absent it is on a Friday or a Monday.) Willful and deliberate absence is a very serious offence because the employee has deliberately and willfully chosen to ignore his/her contractual duty to present himself/herself for work, and is therefore in breach of contract. This type of absenteeism calls for severe discipline - even to the extent of suspending the employee for say one week without pay, or a final written warning valid for 12 months. 

Obviously, proper disciplinary procedures must be followed. 

Ø Absence after permission has been refused. This does happen - the employee requests to be excused from work the following day or on a particular day, and with very good reason the request is refused because the reason offered by the employee for requesting the absence is not valid. 

It may also be that it is vital that the employee be on the job at that time, or that the company may suffer some loss if the employee is not at work.  Whatever the case, make absolutely certain that you explain very carefully to the employee why you are refusing his/her request, and use an interpreter if necessary.

Then confirm the refusal in writing and place a copy in the employee's file, also recording that a meeting was held, that you explained the matter fully in the presence of n witness and n interpreter. If the employee does absent himself after refusal (provided the refusal is fair and equitable) then it is a very serious offence which could even result in summary dismissal. 

The employee can in fact now be charged with unauthorized absenteeism, gross insubordination, and refusing to obey reasonable and lawful instructions.  Whatever the case, remember that the employee must justify the absence and in addition, you must hear his story and check all the facts before you impose disciplinary action or sanction. 

Imagine the mess you will be in if the employee is able to prove, for example, that Company attendance records have been inaccurately kept, or are not up to date, or even worse - are not kept at all. What if the employee is able to show that he was unavoidably detained in hospital through no fault of his own? 

Check the facts and listen to the other side - it is vital. 

Ø Suspect ill health / sickness :Employee absence due to ill health or sickness - same thing I suppose - is one of the most difficult types of absenteeism to control - to do so requires very careful record keeping and careful & detailed disciplinary records. 

It is so because it is the employee's right to go off sick, and what's more the employee is protected by legislation. 

he Basic Conditions of Employment Act, which regulates sick leave provisions, describes sick leave as "incapacity" - put differently, the employee is incapable of carrying out his/her contractual obligations because of illness .The Act further entitles the employee to a certain number of days sick leave over a 3 year cycle, it entitles the employee to take the permitted number of days at any time during the 3 year cycle, and imposes only one minor responsibility on the employee - that of being obliged to produce a valid and acceptable medical certificate under certain conditions.

 Every employee can take a full two days off work without having to produce a medical certificate, and what's more he can do this repeatedly. Therefore - in the case of the lead slinger - your record keeping of the number of days taken off, what day of the week is habitually taken, and how often advantage is taken of the 2 day provision by the employee is vital to assist you in imposing disciplinary action / sanction.

For example, if the employee takes off more than twice during any 8 week period, you do not have to pay the employee for the third occasion off - this usually discourages a repeat performance, but it may not.

If there is a pattern - say always absent on a Friday or a Monday, or on payday, or regularly every 9 weeks (just outside the 8 week rule), then a disciplinary hearing is called for. The employee must be told straight out that his absence due to illness is no longer acceptable, and unless his/her health undergoes a vast improvement, dismissal may result. If handled properly, you can dismiss on grounds of incapacity due to ill health - so the employee's "sickness" will backfire against him/her.

Ø Desertion: A deserter is an employee who is absent from work for more than 3 days, without notifying you of the reason for the absence, and you can show that he/she has no intention of returning to work. Remember that the intention to desert - the intention not to return to work - must be present. Therefore you cannot dismiss for desertion an employee who has been off sick for 10 days without notification and who returns to work with a valid medical certificate. He had no intention to desert - he was sick.

 You must be able to prove that you have attempted to contact the absent employee, by telephone, or better still by means of a telegram sent to his last known address.

 If an employee does not report for duty without having been granted prior permission to be absent, you are entitled to remove him from the payroll after a reasonable period of time has elapsed.

There is no statutory definition of "a reasonable time" but it is generally considered that 3 to 5 days fulfills the definition. Quite obviously, you must follow disciplinary procedures (in absentia if necessary) before dismissing the employee. Equally obviously, if he/she arrives suddenly say after even 3 months absence, he/she is entitled to put his/her case to you - however, you are not obliged to re-employ. Remember that this person is no longer an employee, but rather an ex-employee.

Ø Absence from overtime work. It happens that an employee does not pitch up to work previously agreed overtime. The employee states that because it is overtime, he/she does not have to work it if he/she does not want to, despite having agreed to work the overtime.

This is incorrect - where an employee has specifically agreed to work a specific shift of overtime, then that employee is contractually bound to work the agreed overtime. 

Once the employee has agreed to work the overtime, it is then no longer voluntary, but becomes a contractual obligation. Disciplinary action is the same as for absence without permission or unauthorized absenteeism.