As the team manager, you have charge of the ten members of the team. One of the important team members who contributed a minor but major impact to the project's advancement, teamwork, and organization's overall development asked for a long-term leave of absence to provide care for their ageing parents. Long-term employee absences from work, whether due to illness or other personal issues, can alter team dynamics therefore initially reduce productivity. In these kinds of situations, HR managers and team leaders are vital in ensuring that the demands of the teams & the organisation are satisfied. Let's explore various approaches to sickness absence management as well as how managers may effectively lead their teams during times of crisis in this manager's guide to managing long-term employee absences.What is the Management of Absences?
An essential tool for helping employees with medical issues stay at or return to their jobs is absence management, it also helps employers keep an eye on and handle those who take unwarranted time off. Managing absences well is essential for companies trying to cut expenses and increase worker fulfilment. For most UK businesses, lost workdays are extremely expensive. With an average of 5.6 days off per worker, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) calculates that the yearly cost of sick leave for UK enterprises is approximately £554 per employee. By the conclusion of this decade, it is predicted that the cost of employee absence will reach £26 billion. Apart from the monetary expenses, absenteeism can greatly affect the efficiency of your staff, frequently resulting in low morale among those who must substitute for absentees. Lower efficiency is frequently the result of low motivation, as well as decreased efficiency is going to show up in the financial health of your company and the economy as a whole. In 2019, absenteeism and illness at work cost the UK business around £92 billion.
How Should Extended Employee Absences Be Handled?
Careful planning, interaction, and compassion are all necessary for managing extended employee absences. This is a manager's guide to efficient absence tracking.
Clear and concise communication
Maintain lines of communication with the workers who are not present. Consistently check in to learn about their circumstances as well as extend assistance. For instance, frequently check in with an employee who is on extended sick leave because of a major illness along with an offer to help with work-related tasks.
Record-keeping
Keep complete records of the absence, especially any medical certifications or paperwork the worker may have supplied. It guarantees adherence to both legal and corporate policies. For instance, make sure you have evidence of absence and maternity-related paperwork for record-keeping if a worker takes an extended leave of absence due to pregnancy.
Supportive environment
Encourage a friendly atmosphere at work for the missing workers as well as their colleagues. Make sure the job is effectively divided among the other team members to avoid overloading them. To sustain productivity without adding unnecessary stress, divide up a team member's responsibilities amongst the other team members if they are on a long-term leave of absence for personal reasons. To sustain productivity without adding unnecessary stress, divide up a team member's responsibilities amongst the other team members if they are on a long-term leave of absence for reasons of their own.
Flexible work schedule
To ease the employee's adjustment back into the job, think about providing adaptations or accommodations when they return. Consider permitting a worker to work fewer hours at first to help ease them back into their role if they are returning from a prolonged medical break.
Adherence to the law
Throughout the absence, make sure that all applicable employment laws & corporate rules are followed. It entails abiding by laws about privacy protection, handicap accommodations, as well as leave rights. For instance, make sure worker's compensation rules are followed & offer the required assistance to a worker who is on extra time off as a result of an accident sustained at work.
Final Words
To sum up, efficient handling of extended leaves of absence is essential to preserving output while fostering worker welfare. Managers can reduce the effects of employee absences by creating clear regulations, giving scheduling flexibility, and delivering training. A manager's assistance in putting procedures in place and encouraging a work-life balance is another factor that makes absence monitoring effective. Thus, with the aid of effective absence management, prioritising communication and assistance guarantees that the demands of the company & its workers are satisfied.
