| NEWS
|
Overcoming the sticky problems of regular absenteeism
July 23, 2009
By Nikki Viljoen
If people are the greatest asset in your business, it stands to reason that absent staff are the biggest liability. We all get sick and this is not usually a train smash, until there is a staff member who is constantly off sick.
Flu and other respiratory illnesses are estimated to cost South African companies billions of rand each year in lost production and replacement staff. And that's only for legitimate sickness.
What about the huge number of people who take sick days but are healthy?
Infinite Risk chief executive Peter Smanjak, in his HR Future article in April, said surveys found the absenteeism rate in the US hours workforce was about 9 percent. "Almost one in 10 workers is absent when he or she should be at work."
Clearly this would have a huge cost implication to business. Smanjak goes on to say: "Absenteeism can consume as much as 15 percent of an organisation's payroll". And this does not include "paying overtime, hiring temporary help, or a reduction in sales or profits due to lost productivity, which can double or even triple that amount". Staggering figures, I'm sure you will agree.
The Labour Relations Act says you cannot discriminate against someone who is sick and cannot go to work because of an illness related to disability, pregnancy or HIV/Aids. That said, the law also states that the employer has the right to dismiss someone who is not performing or meeting the requirements of the job.
So how do we as owners of small enterprises juggle all of the information and requirements and still manage a struggling and fledgling business?
Unlike in big firms, a small business usually doesn't have the luxury of extra pairs of hands to fill in for an absent colleague.
In a business where most people already multitask, this means that someone, who is already stretched really thin, has to step in and do two or even three jobs at one time.
If the person who is off sick has a specialised function, how does the owner cope?
It is key for the owner to know exactly what is going on at all times so that in a crisis the situation can be dealt with immediately and efficiently.
There are several ways in which to treat the situation of sick leave, whether it is the staff member who is constantly off ill or the employee's children who are constantly ill.
For me, prevention is always better than cure and a sick leave policy must be in place that has consequences for staff who take liberties.
Employees must alert the office that he or she is unable to come in. A medical certificate should be required. These policies and procedures should also include (but not be limited to) an Aids policy and alcohol and substance abuse policy.
As much as it is illegal to discriminate against troubled staff, it is also not legal for staff to take advantage of their employers. Remember, though, that the law always has to be upheld and that you cannot summarily dismiss employees who take advantage. The usual disciplinary procedures must be adhered to before the decision to dismiss is taken.
It is always a good idea to have some kind of a succession plan to take care of debilitating illness or death. This would mean training everyone up on everyone else's job.
Having a universal filing system would mean that everyone files both their hard copy and their soft copy. This would ensure that valuable time is not wasted looking for documents.
Having checklists for each task would ensure that each function is completed correctly; even if one employee started it, another will be able to complete it.
Teamwork is key when the employer and employees have to roll up their sleeves and tuck in to the task of standing in for a sick colleague.
Nikki Viljoen is an internal auditor and business administration specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
|
|
|
Social bookmarking allows users to save and categorise a personal collection of bookmarks and share them with others. This is different to using your own browser bookmarks which are available using the menus within your web browser.
Use the links below to share this article on the social bookmarking site of your choice.
Read more about social bookmarking at Wikipedia - Social Bookmarking
|
|
|
News
Markets
Technology News
Company News
International
|
