When it comes to managing a business (whether you are the head of a small, independent, and family-run company; or of a larger, corporate set-up) your employees are simultaneously the most important element of your business and also the element which can often cause the most problems.
With that being said, continue reading to discover two incredibly helpful tips and techniques for dealing with scheduled and unscheduled employee absenteeism.
Invest In An EAP
An EAP (often referred to by its full title, Employee Assistance Program) is one of the most fantastic investments you could possibly make in working towards dealing with and minimizing employee absenteeism.
Essentially, an EAP is an entirely voluntary program that is sponsored by you—the employer—that practically and effectively assists employees in navigating and dealing with stressful and troubling life circumstances. It is easy for an objective outsider to become frustrated with an employee for being unable to leave their problems at the proverbial door, but, especially in current turbulent times, it can often be simply impossible to do this.
There is a wide plethora of incredible benefits to installing an EAP into your day-to-day business model, including but in no way limited to the following:
- Dedicated and entirely in-the-moment support for department heads and managers
- Unique and specific insights into the specific trials and tribulations associated with the different job roles within your company
- Ever-present experts on hand 24/7 to deal with any critical incidences
- Everyday support for everyone employed by your company, including yourself
- Free, consistent, and entirely confidential advice
- The early intervention which can save time, money, and distress for both you and the relevant employee
Offer Paid Time Off And Increase Vacation Days
Frankly, if one of your employees is going to take a day off regardless, then surely it is much more conducive to a functional and effective working framework for them to have pre-booked and scheduled the day rather than “dropping it on you” at the last proverbial minute.
Paid time off, usually called PTO, is essentially a bank of working hours that an individual employee can draw from as and when needed. Reasons an employee may use a portion of their banked PTO hours may include the following:
- Their mental health and wellbeing
- Childcare responsibilities
- Medical appointments
- Scheduled family days
- Funerals or weddings
When arranging employees’ paid time off hours, you can either credit their bank every pay period or else, at the beginning of each year, credit their bank for their annual PTO hours.
When considering the matter of PTO vs vacation hours, it would be exceedingly pertinent to point out that, generally, research suggests that employees favor the former over more traditional leave arrangements due to their flexible nature.
Other advantages of allowing your employees PTO is the desired reduction of unexpected employee absenteeism, the empowerment afforded each individual worker, and the ease with which PTO policies can be managed.
