Employees Who Eat Healthy Are More Productive and Less Frequently Absent

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May 17th, 2016

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If you want your employees to be more productive and reduce absences, you need to encourage them to eat healthy. Studies show that people who maintain a healthy diet are more creative, remember more and can think better than unhealthy employees.
Healthy Diet and Job Performance
Studies show that employees on a healthy diet:

  • Are 27% less absent
  • 11% better at work than unhealthy employees
  • 20% more likely to be productive
  • 25% improved job performance

Brains and Calorie Consumption
A person’s brain uses 20% of the calories they consume in a day. For optimum performance, the brain needs a continuous stream of healthy fats and glucose. When people eat things such as:

  • Vegetables
  • Proteins
  • Fruits
  • Whole grains
  • Healthy fats

They keep their brains going and stay fuller longer.
What Employees Should Eat
What are some good foods that your employees should eat to make them more productive? shutterstock_340821413 - Copy

  • Eggs
  • Yogurt
  • Blueberries
  • Avocados
  • Almonds
  • Salmon
  • Brown rice
  • Cashews
  • Walnuts
  • Dark chocolate

Educating your employees about a healthy diet will reduce absenteeism, make your employees more productive and make your company a better place to work.
To learn more absence management strategies, contact the experts at Actec.

Webinar: FMLA & Total Absence Management – Turning a Weakness into an Opportunity

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May 13th, 2016

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In this Actec Systems educational webinar subject matter experts John Hearn and Michael Godwin review practical strategies and solutions to logistical challenges in absence management and absence reporting. From administrative retroactive adjustments to compliance inconsistencies and poor clinical handoffs, absence management programs can cause difficulty for even the most organized businesses. Pinpoint your organization’s challenges as we review the following topics:
* Practical absence process vs. compliance details
* Understanding perspectives of various stakeholders
* Identifying and circumventing industry limitations
* Seeing the bigger picture regarding absence management

For a copy of the slides, click here. To learn more about absence reporting, contact us.

You May Not Have a Handle on FMLA

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May 3rd, 2016

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Adhering to the Family and Medical Leave Act is a management issue for many employers. If you think that you have a handle on FMLA management, you may be wrong. Most companies run into issues with FMLA compliance, and those issues can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
dolThree Common FMLA Issues
There are three main areas where many companies struggle with FMLA compliance.
Those areas are:

  • Determining if an employee has a qualifying health condition
  • Deciphering State and Federal leave laws
  • Tracking FMLA intermittent absences

Unknown FMLA Facts
Here are some other facts you may not realize about FMLA management:

  • Tracking FMLA related absences makes up 6% of payroll costs
  • The Department of Labor initiates 43% of FMLA related investigations
  • If a company loses a FMLA case, it can cost over $500,000

Managing FMLA absences is important to maintain compliance. Even if you feel you have intermittent and extended absence management under control, your company may not be handling them in an efficient manner.
Effective absence management requires a comprehensive strategy and an effective way to track and manage all absences. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how they can help you track absences and ensure compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Webinar: FMLA & Absence Management – Processes to Drive Compliance

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April 26th, 2016

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Join Actec Systems for this educational webinar as subject matter experts John Hearn and Michael Godwin review practical strategies and solutions to logistical challenges in absence management and absence reporting. From “notification leakage” to compliance inconsistencies and poor clinical handoffs, absence management programs can cause difficulty for even the most organized businesses. Pinpoint your organization’s challenges as we review the following topics:

  • shutterstock_174966584 smPractical absence processes to support compliance
  • Managing the perspectives of various internal stakeholders
  • Identifying and circumventing industry limitations
  • Big picture process design to support absence management

Two Sessions Held Thursday, May 12th:
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT
Space is limited – use this link to register:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3407114229344092420

Absence Management Silo Strategies May Create Inefficiencies

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April 12th, 2016

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A current trend in absence and compensation management is to create work silos. When companies separate workers compensation and disability leave programs, it can create efficient teams within your human resource department. However, not unifying your absence management strategies may create inefficiencies that can lead to a loss in revenue.
Separate May Not Be Equal
When you separate benefit programs there can be unifying data your company is missing. This data can help organizations understand what drives employees to take leave or unplanned absences. Unifying all absence and compensation programs within an organization can reduce overall cost, increase productivity and help determine the way employees use their company benefits.
A Strategy to Bind Them Allshutterstock_251707783 sm
When you unite benefit programs as opposed to siloing them, your company can track important information, including:

  • Lost time data
  • Claim tracking
  • Unaccounted for absences
  • Overpayment of benefits
  • Overpayment of salaries

You can also determine important information, like if your current benefits program makes employee choose between filing a worker’s compensation claim or filing for non-occupational disability benefits when they suffer a work-related injury.
If your organization is looking for ways to increase company productivity and reduce costs, you need to evaluate your absence management and absence reporting strategies. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how they can help you with accurate leave tracking and absence reporting solutions.

Is Your Absence Management Policy Flexible?

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March 29th, 2016

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shutterstock_306793247 - CopyAbsences count for as much as 35% of a company’s payroll. This makes absence management an important part of reducing costs for an organization. Using strategies that include workplace flexibility as part of a company’s absence management policy can help decrease absences while increasing employee engagement.
What is Workplace Flexibility?
Workplace flexibility is a term used to create manageable accommodations for employees to help them complete necessary tasks. These accommodations can be temporary or permanent and can include a flexibility in location or hours.
Workplace Location Flexibility
Accommodations for workplace flexibility can include:

  • Working from a satellite office
  • Partial or complete telecommuting
  • Some combination of the above accommodations with part-time work at the facility

Work Hours Flexibility
Accommodations for work hours can include:

  • Job sharing
  • Part-time work
  • Flex time
  • Non-standard shifts
  • Compressed work weeks

Benefits of Workplace Flexibility
There are many benefits to workplace flexibility. People who are injured or recovering from an illness can return to work sooner if your company is able to offer telecommuting options or flexible hours. People who are older or disabled may be able to complete tasks successfully if they work part-time or share their position with another employee. Employees with families may be able to telecommute when staying home with a sick child instead of having to call in sick and miss time.
The benefits of instituting workplace flexibility also extend toward improving absence management and increasing the company’s profitability. If your company is looking for alternative ways to decrease absenteeism, contact the experts at Actec.

Manage Absenteeism with Wellness Programs

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March 17th, 2016

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shutterstock_229854826 1920x750There is a new trend in employee management that has resulted in a significant impact on absenteeism and performance. Companies who sponsor fitness and wellness programs find that their employees are happier, more productive and less likely to call out sick.
An Increase in Wellness Programs
A recent study found that 70% of US businesses offered wellness programs, up 20% from 2008. This increase is due to the benefits of fitness programs across the board. Productivity is up, absenteeism is down and employee retention is improved.
Benefits of Wellness Programs
The increase in revenue has occurred despite the low ROI employers receive from creating and maintaining these programs. In fact, many companies have a goal separate from ROI when they decide to sponsor a wellness program for their employees. The four main reasons behind sponsored fitness and wellness programs include:

  • Improve teamwork/morale
  • Reduce Absenteeism
  • Health and Well-being of Staff
  • Improve Work Productivity

How Wellness Programs Improve Production
How is it that improving the health of employees has such a positive impact on production? In addition to improving overall health and wellbeing, diet and exercise improves cognitive performance in five main areas:

  • Mental stamina
  • Memory
  • Concentration
  • Creativity
  • Learning

Employees who are able to focus on their work, retain facts and have improved creativity are able to get more work done in shorter periods of time. They are also able learn new skills faster and apply those new skills better than people who are not physically and mentally fit.
Reduced Absenteeism
Physical activity release endorphins, which means employees who exercise are in a better mood and less likely to become ill. They are also less prone to stress and dissatisfaction at work, reducing the need or desire to call in sick to work.
Absentee management strategies include absence prevention as well as creating workflows for reporting absences. The benefit of creating an employer sponsored wellness program reaches beyond reducing absences to all facets of the organization. To learn more tips on absence management, contact the experts at Actec.

Absence Management Versus Staff Engagement

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February 12th, 2016

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shutterstock_136833263 - Copy (5)As the workplace culture evolves to increase flexibility and engagement, companies consider how to handle attendance policies. Are absence management policies still appropriate or should companies trust employees to manage their time?
Distrust Leads to Disengagement
If management distrusts staff and creates strict attendance policies, the company may see an increase in absences. Employees can tell when managers don’t trust them and this can cause staff disengagement. Disengagement can lead to a decrease in effectiveness and an increase in absences as people find convenient excuses not to go to work, like a great football game on television.
Trust Increases Productivity
Statistics prove that just as a lack of trust decreases productivity, management faith in its staff increases production and engagement. People manage their own time and DVR that football game so that they can put more effort in their work.
Is There a Middle Ground?
So if trusting employees improves engagement and decreases absenteeism why is an attendance policy necessary? Unfortunately, not everyone deserves trust. There are employees who will be habitually late or absent, so the company needs to create policies to manage this minority.
In search of a middle ground, some companies have created attendance guidelines that management enforces when necessary. This allows the majority of workers to manage their time on their own while management offers support as needed. When someone abuses this system of trust, management has formal procedures in place to reprimand the transgressor.
Absence management policies don’t need to be strict or enforced with an iron fist. A guiding hand may prove affective for most employees and you will create a positive work environment that encourages employee engagement.
If you are looking for more information regarding absence reporting or employee management, contact the experts at Actec today.

Don’t Be Tardy with Your Absence Management Strategies

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January 12th, 2016

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shutterstock_250505056 - CopyEmployees who are chronically tardy are the bane of many managers. Showing up ten or fifteen minutes late may not seem like an issue to some workers, however, from a management standpoint, it can be a serious problem. This is why part of a company’s absence management strategies has to include tardiness policies.
Create a Point System
Creating an occurrence policy should include people who arrive late, leave early or miss an entire day. For example, employees would receive half an occurrence if they are more than ten minutes late. This will help workers understand that the company believes punctuality is essential for continued employment.
Create a Workshop
Another strategy would be to have Human Resources conduct a workshop to help employees understand the importance of arriving to work on time. To make the workshop successful, it is important to stress the benefit to the employees and not just the company.
Put it in Writing
Create a section in the employee handbook that explains the company attendance policy and how tardiness will be handled by management. This will help if you need to reprimand or let go of employees who are chronically tardy to work.
Tardy employees effect department morale, production and management effectiveness. Including tardiness policies when you create an absence management strategy will create a better and more productive workforce.
If you are looking for more tips for improving absence reporting or employee management, contact the experts at Actec today

Absence Reporting: Year in Review

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December 28th, 2015

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Understanding human resource management is an important part of controlling absenteeism within an organization. The office environment, stress, and unfair absence policies have just as much of an impact on employees calling out sick as illness does.
Absence management is a complex process and one that evolves over time. Companies need to look at all the factors that influence absenteeism and work to create a positive and engaging work environment. Businesses also need to review their absence policies to determine if they fit current organizational needs.
As 2015 draws to a close, your company may decide it is a good time to review company policies, including absence management. Here are five of our
popular posts related to absence strategies, policies and management:shutterstock_174966584 sm

Absentee management is an important part of controlling costs and increasing revenue. Outsourcing   absence management can help your company create an efficient and cost effective solution. Actec specializes in absence reporting, 24/7 claims reporting and first notice of loss. Contact us today to find out how we can help.