Inevitably, some employees will incur sick days over the years. However, a selective few may seek to take advantage of these situations.
In 2019, one survey suggested that two in five adults would fake a sick day if they needed a day off, which is a concerning proportion of workers. Others may fall genuinely fall ill through means that are almost entirely preventable. Whichever side of the line your employees land on, it almost doesn’t matter; sick days cost you money, and they should be reduced however possible.
Therefore, here are some ideas to help you address excessive employee sick days in your workplace.
Know Their Rights
Before you can challenge your employees or help them through bouts of genuine illness, it’s first essential to know their rights.
To address these matters well, you need to be informed, so learn what constitutes as unfair dismissal in these circumstances and review the terms outlined in the Equality Act for any additional information. Understanding the tribunal process will also help you prepare if any employees complain of unfair dismissal.
Knowing your worker’s rights will help you navigate these matters deftly and with more tact. After all, the last thing you should do is level unwieldy accusations at workers who are genuinely sick. Regardless of any tensions, you need to preserve your reputation for compassion and intelligent decision making in challenging situations like this. Remain composed, fair, and gracious by staying informed.
Create a Safer Working Environment
If your workplace is full of dirt, grime, and bacteria, you cannot be surprised that many of your workers may incur a sick day on occasion.
It may be helpful to onboard some responsibility yourself here. Consider introducing some sanitizing systems from VIOA to your premises. This business manufacture mobile UVC light cleaning solutions that reduce the presence of many different types of bacteria, germs, and pathogens. If you’d like to remove the foothold viruses may have in your workplace, these systems will get the job done.
Of course, you may assume that an overnight cleaning crew will manage fine alone. However, when it comes to worker wellbeing, you should always go the extra mile. After all, you cannot expect workers to show up every day if their safety isn’t high on your priority list.
Offer Mental Wellbeing Support
It’s important to remember that not all illnesses are readily apparent. Any number of your workers could be battling their inner demons at any given time.
Try to be sensitive to the issues your employees may be experiencing. Perhaps they are facing financial unrest in the wake of a devastated economy? Maybe their home relationships are suffering due to the stifling nature of past lockdowns? Whatever the reasoning might be, it’s essential to lift the taboo on these subjects and be there for workers in times of hardship.
It may seem counter-intuitive to give employees sick days when you’re trying to reduce them. However, if you can give your workers some personal time early, it may stave off excessive numbers of sick days being taken out later down the line. Permit workers to have a break and look after themselves on occasion, and steadier attendance rates and productivity should hopefully follow.