Managing Absence Management Effectively
“Critically evaluate the role of absence management in organisations and discuss how long-term absence can be managed effectively.”
This report shall investigate the problematic area of sickness absence with an emphasis on long-term sickness absence, highlighting the reasons why this area must be addressed and how organisations can manage this effectively.
The term “absence” is used to describe the period of time that an employee is not in attendance at work. With this in mind, absence can cover many different reasons for people not attending work. These include, long-term sickness absence, short-term sickness absence , unauthorised absence, persistent lateness, annual leave, parental leave, maternity leave, educational leave, compassionate leave and many more. (CIPD, 2007)
There are two main types of sickness absence, short term and long term. “Short term sickness is by far the most common form of absence accounting for eighty percent of all absences.” (ACAS, 2007) Short term absence is an absence for a period of less than three days. The main forms of short term absence are minor illnesses such as colds and flu’s, headaches and muscular sprains. (ACAS, 2007)
Whereas long term absence presents a more significant problem for organisations and “can have a devastating effect on the performance of your business and the health and wellbeing of your employees.” (HSE, 2008) Stress is the number one reason for long term sickness absence in the UK. The other main causes of long term absence are back pain and mental ill health issues.
Sickness absence in general, both long and short term costs organisations over thirteen billion pounds per year. This is six hundred and fifty nine pounds per employee per year and constitutes for two hundred million working days per year, eight point four percent for every member of staff which is three point seven percent of total working time. (CIPD, 2007)
Aswell as the aforementioned monetary costs there are also
This report shall investigate the problematic area of sickness absence with an emphasis on long-term sickness absence, highlighting the reasons why this area must be addressed and how organisations can manage this effectively.
The term “absence” is used to describe the period of time that an employee is not in attendance at work. With this in mind, absence can cover many different reasons for people not attending work. These include, long-term sickness absence, short-term sickness absence , unauthorised absence, persistent lateness, annual leave, parental leave, maternity leave, educational leave, compassionate leave and many more. (CIPD, 2007)
There are two main types of sickness absence, short term and long term. “Short term sickness is by far the most common form of absence accounting for eighty percent of all absences.” (ACAS, 2007) Short term absence is an absence for a period of less than three days. The main forms of short term absence are minor illnesses such as colds and flu’s, headaches and muscular sprains. (ACAS, 2007)
Whereas long term absence presents a more significant problem for organisations and “can have a devastating effect on the performance of your business and the health and wellbeing of your employees.” (HSE, 2008) Stress is the number one reason for long term sickness absence in the UK. The other main causes of long term absence are back pain and mental ill health issues.
Sickness absence in general, both long and short term costs organisations over thirteen billion pounds per year. This is six hundred and fifty nine pounds per employee per year and constitutes for two hundred million working days per year, eight point four percent for every member of staff which is three point seven percent of total working time. (CIPD, 2007)
Aswell as the aforementioned monetary costs there are also
References: ACAS (2007) ‘Employees and Sickness’.Available from: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1187&articleaction=print Accessed [12/04/08] Armstrong. M, (2003) Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, (9th Edition) London, Kogan Page CIPD, (July 2007) ‘Absence Measurement and Management’ Available from: hhtp://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/absence/absncman.htm Accessed [12/04/08] CIPD ( May 2007) ‘What’s happening with well-being at work?’Change Agenda Report Available from: www.cipd.co.uk Accessed [14/04/08] CIPD (2008) ‘Occupational Health’ http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/occpnhlth/occhealth?cssversion Accessed [29/02/08] Dunn.C & Wilkinson.A (2002) ‘Wish you were here: managing absence.’ Personnel Review.Vol.31.No.2.pp.228-246 Employers for Work Life Balance, (2003) “Inland Revenue OurTime – A Work Life Balance Project” Available from: http://www.employersforwork-lifebalance.org.uk/case_studies/inland_revenue.htm Accessed [02/04/08] HSE (2008) ‘Introduction to guidance for employers’. Available from: www.hse.gov.uk/sicknessabsence/guidancehome.htm Accessed [20/03/08] Marchington, M. & Wilkinson, A. (2006) Human Resource Management At Work, (3rd Edition) London, CIPD RBS, (2008) “Sickness Absence Guidelines” Standard Life, (2008) “Caring for our People” Available from: http://ukgroup.standardlife.com/html/corp_resp/health_safety.html