Staff absence due to illness and other issues have a serious problem for all organizations. CBI estimates UK 19900000000 lost pounds in 2007, due to absence of employees alone. With this kind of losing it makes sense for the business to examine the causes of staff absence and to identify solutions.
There can be many reasons why staff are absent from work, and the main causes tend to be related to employee health and happiness. Stress has been specifically identified as the single largest cause of illness in the UK with 12.8 million working days lost to stress, anxiety and depression between 2004 and 2005.
employers do not understand, can improve the lives of their employees, but they can take a proactive approach to reducing stress at work, improving the working environment and that staff feel valued and appreciated.
organizations that are positive steps to reduce the rate of staff absence happily discovered that they save money, increase productivity and greatly improved staff morale.
the following six simple steps organizations can take to reduce staff absence and to create a happy and positive working environment:
Recognize unhealthy workplace: Spotting signs of an unhealthy workplace is the first step in improving the working conditions.Once know what to look out for, you can concentrate on fostering a healthy workplace, which is far more likely to have higher productivity and lower staff absences. According to ACAS, unhealthy workplaces are characterized by factors such as violence, unreasonable work demands, poor customer service, high and low levels of productivity absence. Healthy workplaces are characterized by good communication, high level of trust, effective policies and flexible well designed jobs.
Flexible working: Flexible work policies can reduce staff absence and enable staff to stay healthier. For example, staff can use flexible leave to visit the gym or to avoid traffic jams, thus reducing stress. Flexible working is also something prospective employers look for in a new role these days, allowing you to attract and retain high quality staff. Employers also are finding that flexible working actually improves performance increase motivation and productivity of employees. Employers should also bear in mind now that the employees have the right to request flexible working. If an employer receives such a request, they are legally obliged to seriously consider. How much easier to do if you already have a flexible working policy in place.
Healthy Incentives: Providing staff with health care incentives may help promote a positive healthy environment to work and show staff that their employers take this issue seriously. Some organizations provide incentives for staff, such as free health food in the workplace or subsidized / free gym membership. Similarly, some organizations have a policy of supporting staff that are trying to quit smoking by allowing them time for clinic visits.
offer health insurance: These days, "prospective employees are equally interested in the benefits of the employment package as they are in salary. Popular benefits include flexible working and health insurance package. These packages are not just for large organizations as well as most commercial health insurance can be tailored to company size and requirements. Health insurance allows employers to make sure staff members have quality health cover for fast should they fall ill. It also gives everyone peace of mind knowing health care is always available when needed helping companies stay on track.
Improving working conditions: It's amazing, but something as simple as improving working conditions can make a big difference in reducing absence, and often not as expensive as employers believe . Broken furniture, decor and poor clutter can make all the uncomfortable position that staff do not want to spend more time in the strictly necessary. By reviewing and improving the working area employers can ensure you are as comfortable and pleasant as possible. This includes making sure the heating is at a comfortable level and the air-conditioning is checked regularly and work well. Paying attention to ergonomics staff workstation can also help employers avoid common health problems such as back complaints, eye problems and repetitive strain injuries.
offer consulting services: does not require employers to offer counseling facilities under the law, however, there are many benefits to both employers and staff to counseling facilities. Counselling can be used in various ways to support employees in solving their problems, and may be an informal way of sorting out problems before they become disciplinary issues. One in five people currently suffering from stress in the workplace with half a million people reporting they have become ill as a result. Counseling is very effective in helping to manage stress and as stress is the biggest cause of staff absence of the benefits offered by this option became apparent.
If every company in the UK is carried out in six steps and then in the UK can not only save billions of pounds a year, but also actively promote business productivity and jobs are much happier and full of healthy employees.
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