Absenteeism Costs Money and Morale

By D.E. Smoot, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.

Sep. 14--Absenteeism from work is not just a problem among the civilian workforce at federal departments and agencies.

Human resource experts say unscheduled absences in the private sector are a problem no one can afford to ignore. Absenteeism, they say, is estimated to cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars annually in payroll taxes, lost production and low morale.

Analysts at CCH, a leading provider of human resources and employment law information that has been tracking absenteeism nearly 20 years, say workers today have a difficult time "juggling the demands of busy personal and professional lives."

In order to achieve a sense of balance, a growing number of American workers are calling in "sick" in order to take care of personal business.

According to the 2007 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, two-thirds of U.S. workers who called in sick at the last minute this past year did so for reasons other than physical illness.

"Most people today are juggling the demands of busy personal and professional lives and are trying to do their very best in both places," said Pamela Wolf, an employment law analyst with CCH. "Organizations need to stop the tug of war with people for their time and become a partner to employees to help them -- and the business overall -- to be more successful."

The CCH survey reveals five primary reasons workers take unscheduled leave from work:

--34 percent of the workers took leave as a result of a personal illness.

--Of the remaining 66 percent:

--22 percent were off to take care of family issues.

--18 percent were off for personal needs.

--13 percent had a sense of entitlement.

--13 percent cited stress as the reason for being off.

Employers who responded to the CCH survey reported a discernible pattern in their unscheduled absences. Thirty-seven percent of private-sector employers who noticed a pattern reported workers called in sick most often on Mondays and Fridays.

Unscheduled absences also were reported to be more frequent around the holidays and during flu and allergy seasons.

In order to combat the impact of unscheduled absences, Wolf said employers should consider a variety of "work-life programs" that have proven effective.

Wolf said the two most effective programs -- telecommuting and compressed work weeks -- are not widely used. Others that are more widely used include employee assistance plans, flu shot programs, wellness programs and leave granted so parents can attend school functions.

Reach D.E. Smoot at 918-684-2903 or Click Here to Send Email

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