When an employee is off work due to an injury or sickness, many managers request a doctor’s note indicating how long the employee will be out of the office to recuperate. They also tend to find out what accommodations the employee may need to return to work. However, there are better ways to manage the return-to-work process.
Many employers do not have a dedicated return-to-work process as they handle each employee on a case-by-case basis. However, there are costs associated with long-term employee absences. Not only that, but there is rarely dedicated staff to manage absences in a meaningful way. If employers take proactive steps to managing absences, they can reduce absence-related expenses.
In order to manage attendance and the return-to-work process proactively, employers need to look at their current policies. Consider the following:
Absence Communication
Employees need an effective way to communicate absences. More often than not, their only course of action is to leave a message with their boss. It may be days or weeks before human resources (HR) learns of the illness/injury. Implement proper communication channels so the employee can contact the right person to reduce delays.
Support the Supervisors
Supervisors need an easy way to track absences. Asking them to document medical notes for weeks at a time is burdensome and unrealistic. Implementing an online system to manage most of the legwork saves time and keeps all relevant information in one place.
Support the Employee
More often than not, the sick or injured employee has to deal with the medical system on his or her own time. Because they are unfamiliar with it, this causes delays. By retaining a dedicated staff to help the employee manage the medical challenges, employers can facilitate a faster return to work.
Proper absence management can save costs due to delays. These fixes can improve flaws within existing processes as well as implement new procedures to save time and money. The best way to approach these changes is with an in-house solution tailored to your needs. Contact Actec to learn more.
Absence management is a difficult task for Human Resources. Navigating habitual absences and conducting investigations can be cumbersome and awkward for all parties involved. By having an attendance management program (AMP) in place, employers can take the guesswork out of the process. Below are crucial components that any AMP needs to succeed.
There is a lot of talk about absence management among Human Resources professionals, but talk only goes so far. While most companies have an absence policy, less than a quarter of them record and monitor absences. Without absence data, there can be no effective absence management.
No employee can avoid the occasional illness or the unexpected passing of a family member. However, when an employee is absent on a regular basis, there are usually other factors at play. While many employers know that illness is not the only cause of employee absenteeism, not enough of them are taking steps to resolve the source of the issue. Below are some of the most common causes of absenteeism and how to start resolving them.
Absence reporting has grown more important and more frequently discussed with each passing year. As leave requirements and labor costs increase, the methods of logging and tracking employee absences are crucial factors in controlling costs and maintaining compliance. Actec Systems writes a wide variety of blog posts on the subject. Here are 5 of the most important:
One of the most difficult leaves to manage from a Human Resource and management standpoint is FMLA Intermittent Leave. With employees on a reduced work schedule, employers often find it difficult to preserve productivity, managers struggle to keep a shift adequately staffed, and HR has difficulty accurately maintaining the employee’s FMLA leave bank. If your company can get intermittent leave under control, your organization will be able to maintain compliance while returning to optimum levels of productivity.