Curb Summertime Blues with Good Absence Policies, Effective Rewards

Holy Ferris Bueller! Is it possible that some of your employees are calling in sick to have fun in the sun? It’s hard to quantify how many people play hooky from work just to enjoy beautiful, warm weather, but according to a recent CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism, 29 percent of workers took a faux sick day in 2010. A similar share of employers, 27 percent, thought they were seeing a rise in employees calling in sick when they were actually well, possibly from “stress and burnout caused by the weak economy.” What’s an employer to do? Quick answer: Pay attention to both carrots and sticks.

Mastering HR: Absenteeism

Actions have consequences . . .
On the stick side, look at your policy on absences. Take into consideration your organization and the practicalities of how the policy will work, and prepare to clearly communicate it to employees. An absence policy should include clear definitions and cover whether time off is paid or unpaid, how time off is accrued, whether it can be carried from year to year or cashed out, call-in procedures, what sort of documentation will be required (e.g., doctor’s notes), and how employees will be disciplined for unexcused absences.

Remember that medical inquiries related to absence should be narrowly directed toward job-related issues and consistent with business needs. Keep the medical information separate from personnel files.

Some employers bundle several types of paid time off — such as vacation, personal time, and sick leave — so that employees don’t need to make up a lame excuse to take a mental health day. Whatever policy you choose, make sure it’s consistent with the legal requirements for taking time off from work. (The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) deals extensively with time off, and time off from work may be a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), for example.) Make sure both supervisors and employees are well versed on the policy. Enforce it consistently, and make sure to document accurately.

HR Guide to Employment Law, including a chapter on absenteeism

. . . including good consequences
Turning to the carrot side, consider rewarding employees for good attendance with perfect attendance awards. Some employers also reward supervisors for their teams’ good attendance. But be careful that reward programs don’t discourage employees from taking protected time off, such as leave allowed under the FMLA or your state’s workers’ compensation law.

Broader programs to enhance employees’ productivity and reward them for improvements also may lower absences as a side benefit. A book by Canadian researcher Jody Heymann, Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder: Creating Value by Investing in Your Workforce, gives the example of a small manufacturing company in Europe that used flexible policies and a team approach in production. The team approach rewarded the team for performance and gave everyone an incentive not to take time off if they didn’t need to, while flexible policies made it possible to take time off if needed. After three years with the two factors in place, absenteeism dropped by 28 percent in the summer and 39 percent in the winter, Heymann reported.

Each workplace is different, and employment law requirements vary from state to state and country to country. With the right combination of carrots and sticks, however, the Buellers may find it both rewarding and fun to come to work.

State-by-state comparison of 50 Employment Laws in 50 States, including employee leave