Absenteism in the Work Place

One of the easiest ways to succeed at a job is to simply show up. For some people, it is very hard to show up for work. There are many reasons, valid or not, for people not going to work. Whether it be illness, family obligations, or change of season, people will always find an excuse not to go to their job a particular day. Showing up for work when you are supposed to and on time is not only highly beneficial for your employer, but for you personally as well. However, most employees do not realize the effects of absenteeism. (Bossidy, 2001) Illness is a big issue when it comes to employees being absent at work. It is important for all employers to allow specific sick leave for all employees, regardless of position. If an employer didn't offer sick leave, they would increase health problems and the spread of illness, thereby lowering productivity and morale. Despite the pressure for perfect attendance to improve customer service and efficiency, employees need reasonable sick leave programs for security and overall high performance.
Yet, some organizations suffer from sick leave abuse, and abuse translates into lost dollars. In order to ensure this does not happen in the work place, employers must make the rules of the policy very clear and show no ‘slack' when dealing with such abusers. Also, any problems the organization has with sick leave abusers need to be addressed immediately. If other employees see that others are getting away with the abuse of the policy, they surely will abuse it as well. (http://humanresources.about.com)
Family obligations are also a large contributor to people not being on the job. A large majority of the working population have kids. Some may have child responsibilities that become even more apparent when children are off from school for the summer break. Also, these kids need care when parents are at work, and sometimes the people that are responsible for taking care of the children when they are at work cannot be