The Balance Careers put out a fantastic article about the abuse of sick leave that occurs in workplaces all across America. If you find that your employees are missing work often or during
Here are some key takeaways and important points for you to consider when addressing the misuse of sick leave in your workplace.
Determining a Pattern
Like any form of abuse, there will be a pattern of behavior associated with abusing sick leave benefits. To protect your business you need to have a written policy that outlines your sick leave benefits. This is the single best way to ensure that you have the ability to handle situations where employees are found to be abusing their privileges. Clearly outline your expectations, and what is considered abuse of the benefits. You should always include any disciplinary measures that will be used and what triggers the use of each measure.
To determine if an employee has a pattern of abuse keep watch for those:
- With multiple absences, late arrivals or those early to leave the office regularly
- That leave early or arrive late with no permission
- Those that do not give adequate notice of an absence
- Those that do not report their absence according to your company policies
- Those that do not submit medical documentation when requested
Determine the Cause
As an employer it is your responsibility to watch for trends between employees that are misusing their sick leave benefits.
- Do they work in the same department?
- Do they work under the same manager?
- Are they regularly behind on their work?
- Do they have personal distractions regularly?
- Are they pulled away regularly for family emergencies or to tend to sick children?
If you find that there is a common factor between employees who are misusing their sick benefits, you need to address it. Maybe you have a manager who is applying too much pressure or has unrealistic deadlines. If this is the cause you need to address the issue head-on with your employees, and the staff member in question. No one wants to feel completely overwhelmed or pressured all day every day. It’s true what they say-a bad manager can ruin a department’s productivity quickly. Employees with regular personal distractions need to be made aware of the conflict with your attendance policies as well. Personal distractions can be a touchy subject for some, so it’s always best to have an honest conversation to avoid any further conflicts. Regardless of the reason, you need to make yourself aware of the situation because identifying the actual cause will be the solution to your issue.
Encourage Appropriate Use
Many employees show up to work sick and try to push through even when they should be resting at home. It’s important to remember that just because you have sick leave policies, doesn’t mean your employees feel like it’s ok to use them. If you notice one of your employees is struggling, find out what’s wrong. If they are under the weather, encourage them to take the day off to rest and relax to get feeling better. If you begin to notice that many employees are showing up sick to work because they feel obligated, you need to make a point of encouraging your staff to take the time when they truly need it. Sick employees are unproductive and can lead themselves down the road to professional burnout where you may see the misuse of sick benefits. You’re better off allowing them time to rest and come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle their to-do list.
The misuse of sick benefits is not uncommon and is likely not going to change. Be proactive in your business to keep your employees healthy and happy for the sake of your business and the bottom line. If you’re struggling with your sick benefit policies, Meadows Resources is here to help.
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