{"id":2862,"date":"2018-04-18T12:36:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-18T12:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailypay.com\/2018\/04\/18\/the-8-kinds-of-absenteeism-and-how-to-fix-them\/"},"modified":"2023-06-15T00:13:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T04:13:11","slug":"the-8-kinds-of-absenteeism-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailypay.com\/resource-center\/blog\/the-8-kinds-of-absenteeism-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Kinds of Absenteeism (and How to Fix Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE COSTS OF ABSENTEEISM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Employee absenteeism isn\u2019t cheap. According to a study done by <\/span>Circadian<\/span>, absenteeism among hourly workers costs $2,660 per employee per year. For companies employing 500 hourly workers, that amounts to $1,330,000 per year in direct absenteeism costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

This number climbs higher if you employ shift workers for a 24\/7 business like contact centers, where the average absenteeism rate is upward of 11%. At that rate, a 500-employee company would lose $2,400,000 simply dealing with absenteeism and its ripple effects<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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If the contact center in question could <\/span>reduce their absenteeism<\/span><\/a> to 5%, they would save approximately $762,000 per year. At an average <\/span>$30,000 p\/year income<\/span><\/a>, those savings equate to not hiring 25 new operators. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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A TAXONOMY OF ABSENTEEISM<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The thing to keep in mind is that <\/span>Absenteeism<\/span><\/a> is not a monolithic force with which to do battle. There are many types of absences. If you can understand this taxonomy, you can start to gain traction on small wins as you tackle the bigger issues at play. <\/span><\/p>\n

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This first category of absences are workplace related and are therefore in your domain to address. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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1. Chronic tardiness and partial shifts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You know it well. Getting to work late. Leaving early. Taking outsized breaks. In absenteeism-speak, this is the death of a thousand papercuts. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Deal With It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When dealing with chronic tardiness, be sure to identify the problem early. By recognizing the trend before it becomes a big issue, you can help the employee identify the behavior before it becomes a habit. Reacting early also prevents your own impatience from clouding the interaction. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Simply verbalize your disappointment and explain the consequences their actions have on their coworkers. Connecting the dots from behavior to social pressure can go a long way. Remember to clearly state the consequences\u2014such as making up hours, docking pay, or decreasing any bonuses\u2014and also to reinforce through praise when the issue is addressed. <\/span><\/p>\n

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And don\u2019t hog the conversation. Non-work-related obligations may be the root cause, e.g. family obligations, illness, or injury. If your employee explains that their chronic tardiness is not a simple fix for them, then maybe you can agree on a more flexible schedule. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Also, offering DailyPay to hourly workers is a great way to encourage timeliness\u2014our partners have seen their DailyPay users voluntarily increase weekly hours by an average of 11%. <\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Burnout<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Stressed and overworked employees\u2014especially those who don\u2019t feel appreciated\u2014look forward to the weekend more than most. Add just a dash of personal stress on top of their current workload, and you\u2019ve got the makings for impromptu, unsanctioned mental health day. <\/span><\/p>\n

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In a study from the CDC<\/span><\/a>, about 40% of workers across industries classified their job as highly stressful, and 25% reported their job as the most stressful part of their life. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Deal With It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Stress and burnout is a conversation best broached by employers\u2014overworked or stressed employees might be too worried about job security to suggest that they\u2019re having a hard time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It may seem counterintuitive, but encouraging breaks can make workers <\/span>more productive<\/span><\/i> in the long run. <\/span><\/p>\n

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In a study from the University of Illinois<\/span><\/a>, psychology professor Alejandro Lleras explains:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c\u2026Deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task!\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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On a macro level, monitoring workloads and shifting from heavy to moderate and back to heavy can have a similar effect. Heavy workloads encourage focus and flow states, while moderate workloads allow room for creative thinking and problem solving. <\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Passive disengagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Employees who lack motivation in their jobs and feel no sense of loyalty or responsibility to their employers or coworkers are certainly more likely to miss work. Measuring absenteeism among these employees is tricky, because it\u2019s possible that even when they\u2019re there, they\u2019re only partially there. <\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Active disengagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By which we mean job hunting. Because job interviews happen during business hours your actively disengaged employees will have to fake an illness or something to clear their schedules. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Deal With It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Disengagement is the flip-side of the burnout coin. It usually happens when employees start to feel like their work is unimportant and\/or they are just a number in a mass of employees. <\/span>Re-engaging the disengaged<\/span><\/a> is crucial to reducing both absenteeism and turnover. <\/span><\/p>\n

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RELATED READING: The 3 Levels of Employee Engagement & How They Affect Your Bottom Line<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Every company and individual requires unique solutions to get the same outcome. However you choose to address disengagement, recognize that the strategies are to change an attitude, not a behavior. <\/span><\/p>\n

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These are the <\/span>four positive attitudes<\/span><\/a> that are critical to employee satisfaction and a healthy work culture. <\/span><\/p>\n

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A <\/span>hopeful attitude<\/strong> generates high levels of agency (goal-directed energy) and plans to meet goals, <\/span><\/p>\n

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e.g. <\/span>ask about their career goals and assign them additional work that supports those goals<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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An <\/span>optimistic attitude<\/strong> comprises a positive expectation about the future. <\/span><\/p>\n

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e.g., <\/span>showcase opportunities to move within the company, to do work that is more interesting or fulfilling<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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A <\/span>self-efficacious attitude<\/strong> involves \u201ca conviction\/confidence about one’s abilities to mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources, or courses of action needed to successfully complete one’s tasks and responsibilities.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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e.g., <\/span>be generous with praise and quick to acknowledge wins and hard work. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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A <\/span>resilient attitude<\/strong> is demonstrated through \u201cpositive adaptation in the context of significant adversity or risk.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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e.g., <\/span>gently push employees out of their comfort zone in areas that align with their career goals.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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\"CATEGORY<\/h2>\n

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Category 2 Absenteeism includes the types of absenteeism you can influence, but it\u2019s harder to control the variables in the way you can for Category 1. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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5. Bullying<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like any bullied school kid who feigns illness to avoid torment, a hostile work environment\u2014whether it be verbal, physical, or sexual in nature\u2014can go a long way in keeping your employees in bed in the morning. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The tricky thing about bullying and harassment is that the attacks can come in the form of <\/span>microaggressions<\/span> that are difficult to convict, and victims are often unwilling to bare their experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

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And it\u2019s not just absenteeism that you have to worry about with regard to bullying. In a study of over 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by the <\/span>Center for Generational Kinetics and Ultimate Software<\/span><\/a>, 6 out of 10 respondents reported that a lack of emotional safety at work would make them quit a job <\/span>immediately<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Deal With It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Addressing bullying and microaggressions in the workplace starts with company culture, which is no small task to change. <\/span><\/p>\n

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But if HR, managers, and the C-Suite can make an effort to openly discuss sexual, racial, and other types of aggression, then employees will feel empowered to discuss it as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Encourage your employees to speak out against aggressors and to document instances of harassment. Publicize an open-door policy for complaints and a zero-tolerance attitude toward inappropriate behavior. The key here is to assure all employees that you will come to their defense. <\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Depression<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to the <\/span>National Institute of Mental Health<\/span><\/a>, the leading cause of absenteeism in the United States is depression. I put it under Category 2, but really, it\u2019s more like a Category 2.5, straddling the line between something you can influence and something you can\u2019t. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Depression can lead to substance abuse if people try to self-medicate their pain or anxiety. Much like bullying and harassment, employees will generally be reluctant to open up about their experience, and in many parts of the country, depression is still stigmatized. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Deal With It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, you have to know how to spot it. When an employee is at work, is he:<\/span><\/p>\n

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