ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Attendance Management Strategy



Attendance Management Strategy

Introduction

Absenteeism affects every organization in different ways. There seems at times to be no clear culprit and to have no easy cure. Absenteeism does not discriminate and affects individuals no matter their sex, race, or religion. It is important to acknowledge that absenteeism has consequences and most importantly that it costs organizations money. By understanding why employees sometimes choose not to come to work when they are fully able and capable, employers can reduce unnecessary effects of absenteeism.

So what if an employee takes an unscheduled day off of work? What consequences does it have and who does it affect? There are many consequences, both positive and negative. Absenteeism can affect up to "seven distinct though interrelated groups: the individuals themselves, their coworkers, the larger work group, the organization and its management, the union and its leaders, the family, and, finally, society at large." (Bolton, 2001)

First, obviously the individual who is absent is affected. There can be several benefits of being absent for an individual. These include taking a break from a stressful job, allowing time for family and allowing time for a hobby. Some times being absent from a job helps to prevent "burn-out." The negative consequences for an individual can be loss in pay and disciplinary procedures for the absence. Next, coworkers are affected by absenteeism. Taking over an absent employee's job could result in increased job variety and skill development. This could lead to overtime or increased pay for covering duties of those who are not present. The negative consequences could be increased stress due to the increase in workload. Also, increased pay is not always ideal if it comes at the expense of free time for outside activities.

Third, the work group experiences consequences. Absenteeism "can allow people to learn more jobs, thereby creating greater crew flexibility in meeting production challenges brought on by various reasons." On the other hand, the work group can experience decreased productivity and increased accidents on the job. The consequences for management are similar to those of the work group. Fourth, union officers experience a different situation. The power position of labor leaders can sometimes be strengthened by a moderate rate of absence. On the negative side, where there is higher absence, (Bolton, 2001) "union leaders run the risk of losing credibility for being unable to control their own people."

Next, absenteeism has many consequences for the family. Time away from work allows an employee time to deal with family issues such as illness, health, family, or marital problems. For example, if there is a problem with a child, a worker could miss work in order to attend a parent-teacher conference. On the other hand, an absence in work could mean less income for the family and an increase in family conflict if, for example, the absent worker interferes with the routine of his or her spouse.

Lastly, society at large is affected by worker absenteeism. A benefit could be "staying away from a dissatisfying or stressful job can ...