Whether employees call in sick for legitimate or not-so-legitimate reasons, it can have a huge knock on effect. Either the work is neglected, others have to pick it up, causing stress due to increase workload, or you have to pay overtime, or hire temporary staff, all of which can impact on the profitability of your business. Therefore, it is in your best interest to understand why employees are taking sick days and the steps you can put in place to reduce levels.

In the UK, one of the biggest causes of short term sickness (55%) and long term absences (63%) is stress attributed to the workplace (source: Chartered Institute of Personnel Development CIPD). Other top causes of short term sickness were minor ailments such as colds, flu, headaches, migraines and upset stomachs. Each week, 1 million workers will take sick leave in the UK alone.

With sickness undoubtedly costing companies millions in increased labour costs and loss of profit, Consult HR’s Julie Pollock shares her top tips for effectively getting a grip on employees taking too many sick days off work.

Causes of too much sick leave

When it comes to absenteeism in the workplace due to illness, there are two main reasons: a genuine illness, or an abuse of the system by workers who are fit to work but who have chosen to call in sick. Both of these reasons can be caused by one or more of the following:

• Actual physical or mental illness
• Personal issues in their private life
• An unhealthy lifestyle
• Problems in the workplace, which are causing either short or long term stress
• The need to care for family members
• Low job satisfaction
• As general unwillingness or want to work

Getting to the source of the problem

With such a wide and varied scope of reasons as to why employees could be calling in sick, finding a standard solution which works in the majority of situations is impractical. Therefore, a good place to start is by analysing the main reasons employees state for taking sick days to find out which comes out on top. Armed with this knowledge, you can come up with a practical solution.

Taking action on repeat offenders

A pattern of sick leave abuse can generally be identified in someone who has repeatedly – over a period of time – violated the organisation’s attendance policy. In order to take appropriate action, it is important to have a clearly written policy in place, specifying your company’s standards and employee requirements. The document should state the process which employees are expected to follow should absence from work arise. Having clear attendance and absence policies will keep employees versed on the standards expected of them, as well as assisting managers when dealing with proceedings. Furthermore, the policy should be readily available to staff, such as on the company’s intranet. This easy access and high visibility will enhance its importance. Finally, asking employees to read and confirm they have understood the procedures regarding absence helps improve compliance and stops them using the excuse that they didn’t know what procedures to follow.

Other measures to reduce employees’ absence due to sickness

• Look for changes in workflow and attitude, paying attention to subtle indications of unhappiness, stress or tension in staff.
• Offer an incentive to employees with zero absenteeism rates.
• When hiring new employees, check their records of absenteeism with previous employers.
• Ensure new employees are fully aware of your company’s policy’s regarding sickness.
• Research methods for reducing physical injury at work, especially for workers who are standing all day or carrying out repetitive movements.
• Ensure management and supervisors are fully trained in how to effectively deal with staff with high levels of unexplained sick leave.
• Offer opportunities for exercise, either on-site or with a local gym.
• Consider offering staff additional days off as part of their annual benefits, which are specifically for ‘preventive health care’.
• Don’t punish genuinely sick workers.  Make sure to consider their overall attendance record, if they are generally a good attender but are having a period of bad health, use your discretion and don’t be too quick to jump to formal disciplinary procedings.

Adopting a firm yet compassionate approach to managing sick leave in the workplace, will help you effectively deal with the few employees who are taking advantage of it. The key is to clearly communicate your policy on reporting sickness from the outset.

If you are struggling with high levels of absenteeism due to employee sickness, help is at hand. At Consult HR, many companies have benefited from our outsourced HR services. For more information, get in touch here.

Millennials, Generation Y, Gen Y… whatever you choose to call them, when I speak to business owners about the new generation of staff, they say they are hard to manage, they lack work ethic, they fall apart the first time they receive negative feedback and they don’t want to do the hard graft that they were used to when they joined a company.

This generation is so interesting that entire studies have been devoted to them. As the workplace shifts to integrate new age groups, the dynamics definitely change.

The big message for business owners and managers is that your usual approach to managing staff needs to adapt. Employers need to sit up and take note of this as by 2020 your workforce will be made up of almost 50% of millennial employees.

Thankfully we’re here to help. Bring your management style up-to-date and effectively manage not only millennials, but all employees, thanks to our carefully curated top tips.

Understanding millennials

First up, it’s important to try to understand millennials. This group definitely get a bashing for their kale and avocado loving ways, but the truth is that recent grads aren’t any more disruptive than the generation that preceded them. When Gen X (those born in the mid-1960s to early 1980s) started working, their Boomer predecessors viewed them as aspirational slackers. But with that being said, where millennials do differ is their unique quality of going against the ‘typical’ characteristics of what is viewed as ‘office norm.’ Therefore, understanding what it is that they want and need in the workplace is key to effectively managing them so that productivity and morale aren’t compromised.

Encourage opportunities for learning and development

While millennials might have received a bad rap in recent years, it’s undeniable that they have a great work ethic. In fact, they crave progression and learning in the workplace. Those born in the nineties have grown up in an era of stimulation, thanks to the introduction of the internet, social media and apps. Eager for new experiences, they work particularly well when given short term goals. Keen to take their career to the next level, they thrive on being assigned new projects or temporary positions which allow them to ‘act up’ with a sense of purpose.

Create the perfect work-life balance

While all of us aim to find this balance, no one craves it more than millennials. A generation of multitaskers, their personal lives are just as busy as their careers and they crave flexibility. Many don’t want to be tied to the culture of 9am – 5pm office working, and prefer to work from home or enjoy flexi from time-to-time so it’s worth considering whether this approach can be introduced in your workplace.

It’s more than just money

While money is definitely an incentive, in recent years, there has been a shift towards finding value in the job itself, with a focus on location, ability to meet new people, office relationships and a relaxed atmosphere receiving more emphasis. Things like vouchers, extra days off and reward schemes are considered extremely rewarding and motivating. Millennials also thrive on being able to demonstrate their potential to bosses so definitely relish a challenge to exert their skills and capabilities in the workplace.

Recognise that they are fearless

By this, we mean that they don’t fear change. Their decisions are usually more autonomously than other generations. They have goals in mind and won’t sit around waiting for them to happen. If they can’t identify their purpose, feel they don’t have a good work-life balance or have poor relationships with their peers, they will find a way to move elsewhere. Therefore, it’s important to have a plan in place for retaining staff. Frequent appraisals and opportunity for growth within the company are key.

Don’t be bossy

It’s widely viewed that millennials push back against traditional forms of authority. In an era where everything is instant, they don’t respond well to rigidity or power plays. Therefore, acting as a mentor rather than an authoritative boss lends itself well to this style of worker.

Place an emphasis on company culture

By now, you’ll probably have come to the conclusion that company culture is important. Millennials thrive on feeling that what they are doing is worthwhile. It is about the experience and purpose than just the pay slip at the end of the month. Therefore, consider your company culture and how it could be improved.

Recognise achievements

One of the biggest lessons that social media has taught us is millennials’ need for approval, and this also applies in the workplace. Understanding that they need recognition from both their peers and superiors will go a long way in retaining them.

Understand their marketing capabilities

Millennials are their own biggest advocators, as they regularly promote aspects of both their personal and work lives on social media. This generation can make for wonderful brand ambassadors, so don’t overlook their ability to promote your firm. From involving them in branding tasks or focus groups, to bringing them along to job fairs or making them a spokesperson for your company on social media, they will relish the opportunity to have their voice heard.

In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on the negative traits of so called millennials, but the fact is that there’s so much to this complex group, which can be immensely positive in the workplace. From placing emphasis on job satisfaction rather than money, to craving learning and progression, there’s no denying that their fresh approach to working can have a positive impact on your company’s culture.

We are here to help

For expert advice on effectively managing millennials in the workplace contact Julie Pollock on 07858089006 or julie@consulthr.co.uk to discuss further.

With snow forecast for many over the coming weeks, as a business owner, you may find yourself wondering how to manage your staff and your business during this period if the bad weather causes some disruption. Here, Julie Pollock from Consult HR answers the common questions asked by business owners in regards to bad weather…

Do I have to pay my employees if they can’t get into work?

In general, no. Employees are legally obliged to come to work provided they are not on sickness, annual or some other “official” holiday. This is the case even during periods of extreme weather.

If the workplace is open, employees should make the effort to get to work if they can. While employers should not encourage employees to put themselves at risk, if an employee cannot get in the employer is not obliged to pay them.

You should double check your staff policies and contracts for any indication that staff will be paid in the event of bad weather. You should also be mindful of what has been done in previous periods of bad weather as if you have paid absences of this nature in the past, you may have set a precedent for payments of this nature.

Do I have to pay my employees if I have to close the business due to bad weather?

If you send staff home after they have presented for work then yes, you will be required to pay them for the full day, unless you agree an alternative with them, i.e. they take holiday hours or they will work back the time at a later date.

However, if you have a lay-off clause in your staff’s contract of employment and you give your staff advance notice not to come into work you can put them on temporary lay off and pay them the guaranteed payment rate instead of their normal wages which is currently £28 per day. Employees who work 5 days per week are entitled to up to 5 days guaranteed payment for any lay off days in a 13 week period (4 days guaranteed payment if they work 4 days per week and so on).

What alternatives are there to docking pay?

Employers may wish to avoid docking staff wages to prevent low morale amongst staff. Approaches to consider include:

• Paying all staff, regardless of whether they are able to make it into work;
• Introducing “snow days”, or paid leave for days absent due to bad weather which is limited to a number of days;
• Asking staff to take annual leave (note that an employer cannot force an employee to take a day holiday without giving advance notice);
• Permitting staff to make up the time off on their return;
• Asking staff to work at an alternative workplace (if available); and
• Permitting staff to work from home if appropriate.​

What can I do if I suspect an employee can make it into work but is choosing not to, blaming bad weather?

In this situation you may consider disciplining the employee. However, employers must have evidence to show employees are blaming their absenteeism on the weather and must not act on suspicions alone. Therefore a thorough investigation should be conducted initially and decide whether this is sufficient information before progressing the matter to a formal disciplinary hearing.

If you have concerns as to what you are required to do as an employer, get in touch today.  Call Julie on 07858089006.