EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM

Employee Absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation.

Traditionally, Employee absenteeism has been viewed as an indicator of poor individual
performance, as well as a breach of an implicit contract between employee and employer; it
was seen as a management problem, and framed in economic or quasi-economic terms. More
recent scholarship seeks to understand Employee absenteeism as an indicator of
psychological, medical, or social adjustment to work.

High absenteeism in the workplace may be indicative of poor morale, but absences can also
be caused by workplace hazards or sick building syndrome. Many employers use statistics
such as the Bradford factor that do not distinguish between genuine illness and absence for
inappropriate reasons.

As a result, many employees feel obliged to come to work while ill, and transmit
communicable diseases to their co-workers. This leads to even greater absenteeism and
reduced productivity among other workers who try to work while ill. Work forces often
excuse absenteeism caused by medical reasons if the worker supplies a doctor's note or other
form of documentation. Sometimes, people choose not to show up for work and do not call in
advance, which businesses may find to be unprofessional and inconsiderate. This is called a
"no call, no show". According to Nelson & Quick (2008) people who are dissatisfied with
their jobs are absent more frequently. They went on to say that the type of dissatisfaction that
most often leads employees to miss work is dissatisfaction with the work itself.

The psychological model that discusses this is the "withdrawal model", which assumes that
absenteeism represents individual withdrawal from dissatisfying working conditions. This
finds empirical support in a negative association between absence and job satisfaction,
especially satisfaction with the work itself.

Medical-based understanding of absenteeism find support in research that links absenteeism

with smoking, problem drinking, low back pain, and migraines. Absence ascribed to medical
causes is often still, at least in part, voluntary. Research shows that over one trillion dollars is
lost annually due to productivity shortages as a result of medical-related absenteeism, and
that increased focus on preventative wellness could reduce these costs. The line between
psychological and medical causation is blurry, given that there are positive links between
both work stress and depression and absenteeism. Depressive tendencies may lie behind some
of the absence ascribed to poor physical health, as with adoption of a "culturally approved
sick role". This places the adjective "sickness" before the word "absence", and carries a
burden of more proof than is usually offered.

Evidence indicates that absence is generally viewed as "mildly deviant workplace behavior".
For example, people tend to hold negative stereotypes of absentees, under report their own
absenteeism, and believe their own attendance record is better than that of their peers.
Negative attributions about absence then bring about three outcomes: the behavior is open to
social control, sensitive to social context, and is a potential source of workplace conflict.

Thomas suggests that there tends to be a higher level of stress with people who work with or
interact with a narcissist, which in turn increases absenteeism and staff turnover.

Absence control can often be an important step in the process of reducing business costs.
Because of competitive pressures, companies can no longer afford to carry unnecessary
absence that they may have tolerated in the past. Therefore, many companies are focusing on
the issue of eliminating, or at least reducing, unnecessary levels of absence.

Absence affects more than just the person who is absent. The absent employees themselves
and their dependants may have a reduced income as a result of absence, besides incurring
possible additional medical expenses. Employers are affected by direct costs such as sick pay,
overtime and staff replacement costs, plus the indirect costs associated with the effects of
absence on, for example, production and quality, management time and the potential loss of
customers. The co-workers of an absent employee may have to work under increased
pressure, in order to meet deadlines. From an economic point of view, there is the loss of
potential out-put, plus the increased government spend on social security payments. For
example, the cost to the State of disability benefits (i.e. a payment made to insured persons
who are unfit for work due to illness). Invalidity pension (payable instead of disability benefit
if a person has been incapable of work for at least 12 months) cost the State €403.6 million in
2002.
But absence control is not just about cost. When absence is not addressed or addressed in an
inconsistent manner, lower morale can result. Employees can feel they have been treated
unfairly when they perceive other absent employees as ‘getting away with it’. Absence can
also be a symptom of a more serious underlying problem, such as bullying and/or harassment,
communication breakdown, stress, etc., which could, if not investigated, lead to significant
costsmto the organization, as well as causing long-term damage to the employee. Employees,
them-selves, also may have personal circumstances that require them to take time off work. A
recent IBEC survey2showed that personal problems were cited as a cause of absence in a
significant Number of companies, for both males and females.

A certain level of absence is to be expected, as employees may have to be absent from work
as a result of illness. In the majority of cases, employees are acting responsibly by staying at
home to recover, instead of coming to work and either passing on their illness to other staff,
or returning to work too early and getting a more severe illness. Employers, however, have
the right to expect responsible absence behavior when a healthy working environment is
provided. Over half of the companies in the IBEC survey thought that it would be possible to
reduce their absence rates.
The notion of what constitutes absenteeism has changed through the years as employees
statutory leave entitlements and authorized company-level leave have increased. In 19803the
Federated Union of Employers (FUE) defined absenteeism as ‘all absence from work other
than Planned holidays’. Nowadays, apart from sickness, employees can be absent from
work for anyone of a number of reasons, either under statutory leave entitlement (such as –
annual leave, maternity or adoptive leave, parental leave, force majeure and career’s leave),
or under arrange mentis agreed at an individual company level (such as compassionate or
bereavement leave, study and/or exam leave, marriage leave, training, etc.).
Historically, there has also been a shift away from viewing the term absenteeism solely as a
pejorative term, to also identifying and addressing the underlying causes or conditions. In the
Past the term has been associated mainly with the notion of ‘malingering’ or ‘pretending’ to
be Sick.
Concern about absence can be triggered by high levels of absence, the necessity to find ways
of reducing costs, in addition to needing to find an ‘acceptable’ level of absence. Many
organizations appear to accept a certain level of absence i.e. where a proportion of their
employees are away on any particular day. The recent IBEC study found that over half of the
respondents did not consider they had a problem with absence. However, more than four out
of ten companies in the survey considered their absence levels to be a cause for concern. As
only a portion of absence days are subject to organization control – it is important to
determine what portion of employee absence is avoidable.
THE CAUSES OF ABSENTEEISM

 Serious accidents and illness

 Low morale

 Poor working conditions

 Boredom on the job

 Lack of job satisfaction

 Inadequate leadership and poor supervision

 Personal problems (financial, marital, substance abuse, childcare etc.)

 Poor physical fitness

 Transportation problems

 inadequate nutrition

 The existence of income protection plans (collective agreement provisions which

continue income during periods of illness or accident)

 Stress

 Workload

 Employee discontent with a collective bargaining process and/or its results.

THE COST OF ABSENTEEISM

Decrease in Productivity

 Employees may be carrying an extra workload or supporting new or replacement

staff.

 Employees may be required to train and orientate new or replacement workers Staff.
  Morale and employee service may suffer.

Financial Costs

 Payment of overtime may result.

 Cost of self-insured income protection plans must be borne plus the wage costs of
replacement employees.
 Premium costs may rise for insured plans.

Administrative

 Staff time is required to secure replacement employees or to re-assign the remaining

employees.
 Staff time is required to maintain and control absenteeism.

TRENDS IN ABSENTEEISM

Recent surveys indicate the following trends in absenteeism.

 The higher the rate of pay and the greater the length of service of the employee, the
fewer the absences.
 As an organization grows, there is a tendency towards higher rates of absenteeism.
 Women are absent more frequently than men.
 Single employees are absent more frequently than married employees.
 Younger employees are absent more frequently than older employees but the latter are
absent for longer periods of time.
 Unionized

UNDERSTANDING ABSENTEEISM

The definition of absenteeism, its causes, its affects on productivity, and its costs in
terms of finances and administrative effectiveness are quite clear. What is not as clear is how
to take affirmative action to control absenteeism in such a way as not to create mistrust,
costly administration and systems avoidance (game players). Traditional methods of
absenteeism control based only on disciplinary procedures have proven to be ineffective. It is
almost impossible to create a fair disciplinary procedure because even well run disciplinary
systems, which treat similar actions in consistently similar ways, are usually seen as unfair.
The reason for this is discipline alone usually does not identify or address the root causes of
absenteeism.

Every employee who takes time off in defiance of company regulations has reasons, right or
wrong, which justify to themselves the legitimacy of their actions. Unless a management
attendance program identifies and addresses the causes of employee absenteeism it will be
ineffective and unfair. Traditional disciplinary programs alone can, at best, give the illusion
of control. It is no secret that there are ways to beat even the best systems. The fear of
discipline often only increases the desire to avoid management systems. If absenteeism is to
be controlled. The physical and emotional needs of employees must be addressed. In a 1985
study on "Rates of Absence among Nurses" it was found that 50% of absenteeism could be
controlled through attending to employees physical and emotional needs.

PURPOSE OF ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT

The purpose of attendance management is to develop a willingness on the part of all our
employees to attend work regularly and to help them in motivating their co-workers to
attend work regularly. This can be done through:

 Addressing the physical and emotional needs of our employees

 Communicating the attendance goals of the organization so employees can
understand and identify with them
 Dealing with cases of excessive absenteeism effectively and fairly so deterrence can
occur.

Successful administration of an attendance management program requires managers

and supervisors to be aware of and create work environments in which the following can
be actualized:

 The greater the extent to which individuals identify their goals with the goals of the
organization and care what happens to it, the greater their motivation to be regular in
attendance.
 The more people find their jobs meaningful to them, the greater their motivation to be
regular in attendance.
  As employee’s workload increases due to the absence of a co-worker, peer
pressure is exerted on the absent co-worker to attend work on a regular basis.
 The more people like working for the organization the higher their motivation to
attend regularly. Recognition of good employee attendance helps improve attendance.
 Employees will have a lower absence ratio if they feel free to discuss their on-the-job
problems with their immediate supervisor.
 Employees with a low absence ratio have attitudes of confidence and "team" spirit.
 Low absence ratio employees are found to be more satisfied with their
opportunity for promotion and upgrading.

COMMITMENT TO ATTENDANCE

This paper provides the information necessary to begin an effective attendance

management program which will yield long term results. This paper is intended to be a
guide rather than an instruction manual or policy. To make an attendance management
program truly successful, it will require insight into the special dynamics present in your
work place. It will require two-way communication, as both the needs of the employees and
of management must be met if good attendance is to be achieved. Attendance is the
responsibility of the facility management and ultimately the administrators.

Attendance is not an expectation. It is a right of employers to have good attendance.

Each and every employee has a contractual obligation to attend work regularly. All levels of
management must believe in, be committed to, and communicate their expectations of good
attendance. If a specific number of sick days are considered acceptable per employee, at best
that will be the result. Employees will live up or down to expectations. Expectations must be
clear to both management and employees in order for an attendance management program to
get maximum results. Goals must be tangible. Attendance expectations must be clearly
communicated and followed.

CAUSES OF ABSENTEEISM

The Royal Commission Labour observed that high absenteeism among Indian labour is due
to rural orientation and their frequent urge for rural exodus. According to Acharaya “In
modern industrial establishment the incidence of industrial fatigue, mal nutrition and bad
working conditions aggravate that feeling for change among industrial worker and some time
impel them to visit their village home frequently for rest and relaxation.”The general cause of
absenteeism may be summarized as below: -

MALADJUSTMENT WITH FACTORY

In factory the worker finds caught within factory walls, he is bewildered by heavy traffic, by
strangers speaking different and subjected to strict discipline and is ordered by complete
strangers to do things which he cannot understand. As a result he is under constant strain,
which cause him serious distress and impairs his efficiency. All these factors tend to persuade
him to maintain his contacts with village.

SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

Social and religious ceremonies divert workers from workers to social activities. In large
number of cases incidence of absenteeism due to religious ceremonies is more than due to
any other reason.

HOUSING CONDITIONS

Workers also experience housing difficulties. Around 95% of housing occupied by

industrial workers in India is unsatisfactory for healthful habitations. This leads to loss
the interest in work.

INDUSTRIAL FATIGUE

Low wages compel a worker to seek some part time job to earn some side income. This
often result inconstant fatigue, which compels to remain absent for next day.

UNHEALTY WORKING CONDITION

Irritating and intolerable working conditions exist in a factory. Heat, moisture, noise,
vibration, bad lighting, dust fumes and overcrowding all these affect the workers health
causing him to remain absent from work a long time.

ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE WELFARE ACTIVITIES

High rate absenteeism is also due to lack of adequate welfare facilities Welfare activities
include clean drinking water, canteen, room shelter, rest rooms, washing and bathing
facilities, first aid appliances etc.

ALCOHOLISM
Some of the habitual drunkards spend whole of the salary during first week of each month for
drinking purpose. Therefore 2 or 3 weeks after getting their salary absent themselves from
their work.

INDEBTNESS

All those workers who undergo financial hardships usually borrow money lender sat interest
rate which is very high, which often cumulates to more than 11 – 12times their actual
salaries. To avoid the money lenders they usually absent themselves from work because
they are unable to return the money in stipulated time.

IMPROPER & UNREALISTIC PERSONNEL POLICIES

Due to favoritism and nepotism which are in the industry the workers generally become
frustrated. This also results in low efficiency, low productivity, unfavourable relationship
between employee and supervisor, which in turn leads to long period of absenteeism.

INADEQUATE LEAVE FACILITIES

Negligence on part of the employee to provide leave facility compel the worker to fall back
on ESI leave. They are entitled to 50 days leave on half on pay. Instead of going without pay
the worker avail them of ESI facility.

EFFECTS OF ABSENTEEISM ON

INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

It is quite evident that absenteeism is a common feature of industrial labour in India. It

hinders industrial growth and its effect in two fold.

LOSS TO WORKER
Firstly due to the habit o f being absenting frequently worker’s income is reduced to large
extent. It is because there is a general principle o f “no work – no pay”. Thus the time lost in
terms of absenteeism is a loss of income to workers
LOSS TO EMPLOYERS

On other hand, the employer has to suffer a greater loss due to absentees. It disturbs the
efficiency and discipline of industries consequently, industrial production is reduced. In order
to meet the emergency and strikes, an additional labour force is also maintain by the
industries. On certain occasions, those workers are employed who present themselves at
factory gates. During strikes they are adjusted in place of absent workers. Their adjustment
brings serious complications because such workers do not generally prove themselves up to
work. Higher absenteeism is an evil both for workers and the employers and ultimately
it adversely affects the production of industries.

ANALYSIS OF CAUSES

1) Family Oriented & Responsibilities: It was observed that about 40% case absenteeism is
family oriented and more responsibilities of workers. It increases in harvesting season.

2) Social Ceremonies: In 20 % cases it was found that social and religious functions divert
worker from work.

3) Housing Facility: In about 30% cases, the workers remain absent because there is no
housing facilities and the workers stay alone and great distance from factory.

4) Sickness and Accident: In 20% case the workers remain absent due to ill health and
disease and in 15%cases workers remain absent due to accident.

5) Transportation: Most of the workers have to travel long distance to reach the work place.
Most of the workers are not satisfied with transport facilities.

6) Welfare Facilities: In 13% cases, the workers are not satisfied with welfare facilities.

7) Working Conditions: In 21% cases, the workers feel that there is not good working
condition, because they work in standing position which causes to remain absence for
relaxation.
8) Management System: Near about 34% people are dissatisfied with management system
because they feel that their work is not being recognized and promotions are biased.

ABSENTEEISM - TYPES

There are two types of absenteeism, each of which requires a different type of approach.

INNOCENT ABSENTEEISM

Innocent absenteeism refers to employees who are absent for reasons beyond the
ircontrol; like sickness and injury. Innocent absenteeism is not culpable which means that
it is blameless. In a labour relations context this means that it cannot be remedied or treated
by disciplinary measures.

CULPABLE ABSENTEEISM

Culpable absenteeism refers to employees who are absent without authorization for
reasons which are within their control. For instance, an employee who is on sick leave
even though he/she is not sick, and it can be proven that the employee was not sick, is guilty
of culpable absenteeism. To be culpable is to be blameworthy. In a labour relations context
this means that progressive discipline can be applied. For the large majority of employees,
absenteeism is legit inmate, innocent absenteeism which occurs infrequently. Procedures for
disciplinary action apply only to culpable absenteeism. Many organizations take the view
that through the process of individual absentee counseling and treatment, the majority of
employees will overcome their problems and return to an acceptable level of regular
attendance.

COUNSELLING INNOCENT ABSENTEEISM

Innocent absenteeism is not blameworthy and therefore disciplinary action is not just infield.
It is obviously unfair to punish someone for conduct which is beyond his/her control.
Absenteeism, no matter what the cause, imposes losses on the employer who is also not at
fault. The damage suffered by the employer must be weighed against the employee's right to
be sick. There is a point at which the employer’s right to expect the employee to attend
regularly.

Measures To Control Absenteeism: -

1) Adoption of a well defined recruitment procedure

The selection of employees on the basis of command, linguistic and family consideration
should be avoided. The management should look for aptitude and ability in the prospective
employees and should not easily yield or pressure of personal likes and dislikes. Application
blanks should invariably be used for preliminary selection and tools for interviews. The
personal officer should play more effective role as coordinator of information, provided that
he has acquired job Knowledge in the function of selection. Employers should also take into
account the fact that select ion should be for employee’s development, their reliance. They
should as far as possible rely on employment exchange.

2) provision of healthful and hygenic working condition

In India, where the climate is warm and most of the work involves manual labour, it is
essential that the workers should be provided with proper and healthy working conditions.
The facilities of drinking water, canteens, lavatories, rest rooms, lighting and ventilation,
need to be improved. Where any one of these facilities is not available, it should be provided
and all these help in keeping the employee cheerful and increase productivity and the
efficiency of operations throughout the plant.

3) Provision of reasonable wages and allowance and job security to workers

The wages of an employee determine his as well as his family standard of living. This single
factor is important for him than other. The management should, therefore pay reasonable
wages and allowances, taking into account the capacity of the industry to pay.

4) Motivators welfare and social measures

The management should consider the needs of workers and offer them adequate and cheap
housing facilities, free of subsidized food, free medical and transport facilities, free education
facilities for their children and other monetary benefits. As for social security is concern, the
provision of Provident Fund, SBI facilities, Gratuity and Pension, all those need to be
improved.

5) improved communication and prompt redressal of grievances

Since a majority of the workers are illiterate or not highly educated bulletins and written
notices journals and booklets are not easily understood by them. Meetings and concealing are
called for written communication becomes meaningful only when workers can readied
understood them, too many notices should be avoided only the essential ones should be put
on the boards, which should be placed near the entrance inside the canteen and in areas
which are frequently visited by the workers so that they are aware of the policies of the
company and any sort changes being made.

6) liberal grant of leave

The management’s strict attitude in granting leave and holidays even when the need for
them is genuine, tempts workers to go on E.S.I. leave for under this scheme, they can
have 56 days leaves in years on half pay. An effective way of dealing with a absenteeism is
to liberalize leave rules.

7) safety and accident prevention

Safety at work can be maintained and accidents can be prevented if the management tries to
eliminate such personal factors as negligence, overconfidence, carelessness, vanity, etc
and such material factorizes unguarded machinery and explosives, defective equipment and
hand tools. Safe methods of operation should be taught. In addition consistent and timely
safely instruct ion, written instructions (manual) in the regional language of the area
should be given to the work force.

8) cordial relations between supervisors and workers

The supervisor should be recognize that industrial work is a group’s task and cannot be
properly done unless discipline is enforced and maintained. Cordial relations between the
supervisors and these workers are therefore essential for without them, discipline cannot be
increased. One of the consequences of unhealthy relations between supervisors and
subordinates is absenteeism.

9) development of workers by training

The system o f worker’s education should be so designed as to take into account heir
educational needs as individuals for their personal evaluation, as operatives for their
efficiency and advancement, as citizens for happy integrated life in the community, as
members of a trade union for the protection of their interests.
The educational programs according to their national commission on Labour should
be to make a worker:-
a) A responsible, committed and disciplines operative.
b) Aware of his rights and obligations.
c) Lead a calm, clean and health life, based on a firm ethical foundation.
d) A responsible and alter citizen.