Absenteeism Meaning in HR

Absenteeism refers to the absence of the employee from the workplace beyond an approved duration. The absenteeism policy is a set of guidelines that contains policies for different types of absenteeism. When employees miss their work frequently, it subsequently disrupts the workflow. Moreover, it increases the workload on their colleagues and can even lead to a decline in productivity and morale.

Organizations thus need to have a clear policy to reduce employee absenteeism. These include planned leaves for instance, vacations or sick leaves, and also unplanned absenteeism such as personal emergencies.

Furthermore, the policy outlines the consequences of unplanned or excessive absenteeism and the process of documenting and reporting absence. The policy hence helps employers to minimize their employees’ absence from the workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.	What is absenteeism?
Ans.	In brief, absenteeism refers to the non-presence of an employee at their workplace. This extends beyond what is within the acceptable realms of days away from work for legitimate reasons such as scheduled vacations or occasional illness. Notably, absenteeism may be a cause of job dissatisfaction, chronic health problems or ongoing personal issues. These causes then later result in workplace productivity loss.
Q2.	What is an absenteeism policy?
Ans.	An absenteeism policy is a set of guidelines that are put in place to manage and reduce the number of employees who are absent from work. By all means, these guidelines usually outline the amount of absence that is acceptable. It also informs about the consequences for employees who do not adhere to it.
Q3.	How to reduce workplace absenteeism?
Ans.	Employee absenteeism can bear negative consequences for the organization. Therefore, managing absenteeism in the workplace is necessary to avoid such a scenario. To reduce absenteeism employers can thus follow some of the following strategies: ✅ Make a clear attendance policy and it must be enforced consistently. ✅ Provide support to the employees. Additionally, understand the reason behind their absenteeism, and address them immediately. ✅ Offer flexible work hour options to increase their well-being. ✅ Invest in employee training and development programs so that they can participate more in the activities. ✅ Provide feedback to your employees. It will subsequently motivate them to improve and perform at their best, making them less likely to miss their work.
Q4.	How does employee absenteeism impact productivity?
Ans.	Employee absenteeism or chronic absenteeism can have a significant impact on the business performance. As a result, it is important to understand the absenteeism causes and effects. Absence from work not only disrupts the workflow but also raises stress levels and consequently lowers job satisfaction which thus leads to an increased turnover rate and lower productivity.
Q5.	What is a good absenteeism rate?
Ans.	A good absenteeism rate is within the threshold of 1.5% which is typically associated with illness-related absence. It thus gives an average of about four sick days per year per employee. Henceforth, absence beyond this rate may reflect presentable issues such as workplace stress or poor management. Maintaining absenteeism of around 1.5% thus reflects a healthy balance between necessary sick leave and a supportive work environment.
Q6.	How much-unexecuted absenteeism is acceptable per year?
Ans.	As a matter of fact, 1.5% of workdays missed annually is generally acceptable for unexecuted absenteeism per year, depending on the company’s policies.
Q7.	What are the best practices for drafting an absenteeism policy?
Ans.	The best practices for drafting an absenteeism policy include assessing your company culture. As a matter of fact, the policy mentioning everything that is expected from your employees. It should also clearly mention the disciplinary action, and furthermore, explain the attendance tracking method.