Let's talk about . . . absenteeism

We’ve all had the experience of being short-staffed once too often on a given week due to absenteeism. Repeated incidence is exhausting and, if left unchecked, will breed resentment amongst those who do come in. But why do people not present at work?In this post-COVID era, it is no longer encouraged to come to work when feeling unwell. After all, the last thing we need are more sick staff members! But go back just a few years and work culture dictated otherwise. If you recall, you had better be very sick to miss a day. I remember a few earlier instances when I unwisely went in but shouldn’t have, because a couple of symptoms just didn’t warrant a sick day. But aside from avoiding the spread of seasonal viruses, there are other reasons people will miss work. Unplanned missed work is not always directly due to sickness either: it might be because of a coughing child who cannot attend daycare, in response to a sudden emergency, or as a consequence to a recent loss. It can also be due to mental health conditions. Indeed, over the last decade, the prevalence of anxiety and depression has seen a noticeable increase in our communities. Declining mental health was on the rise before the COVID era, but it amplified since and continues to wreck havoc to this day. Let’s take the pulse of our average population. Factors such as inadequate healthcare resources, the lack of family practitioners, common lack of understanding of aging and the impact of associated hormonal changes (including sleep disturbances), all lead to undiagnosed and undertreated mental health conditions. Furthermore, while this internal struggle rages, world events that no one ever dreamed of affect us all deeper than we wish or realize. How are we to cope? Indeed, it is not obvious where to turn when feeling overwhelmed. Unsurprisingly, many choose to self-medicate, sometimes adding complexity to an already precarious situation. But regardless of personal coping mechanisms, to many among us, the struggle is real and it periodically affects individuals’ capacity to present to work. Whatever the reason, if we are to maintain unity within our teams, we can’t condone absenteeism, but neither can we ignore it. Most team members are willing to step up when needed, but they deserve some recognition for their extra efforts. In a desire to address this, our group recently discussed some common strategies. One suggestion on the market is a lottery to reward those who consistently show up or are willing to come in on short notice. This concept is adaptable: it can easily be tailored to meet work realities and reward with adequate incentives. An additional strategy, where applicable, is to pay out unused paid sick days. This option will reduce the likelihood that employees will claim sickness to avoid missing out on what they misinterpret as paid time off. (Labour legislations differ by province, but BC’s employees are assured up to 5 paid days off due to sickness each year.) There are many valid reasons people will not come to work. But because a simple “Thank you!” does not do it justice, we need systems to recognize those who consistently show up without shaming those who simply can’t. A reward system that appeals to those involved can be a great tool to retain reliable staff members and minimize absenteeism.

Let's talk about . . . absenteeism

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Selena Despres

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