7 Easy Ways to Improve Employee Motivation

Posted on

December 24th, 2018

Unmotivated employees are more likely to arrive late for work, leave early, or call out of work altogether. Employee absenteeism doesn’t just wreak havoc on morale; it also takes a large bite out of a company’s bottom line. Absenteeism can cost employers as much as $2500 a day in expenses so it behooves them to find creative ways to keep employees passionate about their work. The following are several suggestions employers can utilize to inspire more enthusiasm in their employees:

Recognize a job well done. Employees need to know their employer appreciates their work. They won’t continue to go above and beyond if their boss never recognizes their effort.
Create small, measurable goals. A project that stretches on for weeks with no end in sight can rapidly demoralize staff. Setting small goals allows staff to visualize their progress and keep them on track.
Celebrate the small things. Applauding milestones helps with motivation as well. Recognition should be specific to the employee to highlight how his or her work directly affects the end goal.
Take breaks at frequent intervals. Employees lose effectiveness the longer they force themselves to work on a tiring project. Sitting for hours on end isn’t healthy either. Taking a five-minute break every hour or so can help employees clear their heads and re-engage with the project.
Explain the big picture. Employees working on small parts of a bigger project may not understand why their work matters. Showing them the big picture and explaining how their work helps achieve that can do wonders for their motivation.
Afford employees more autonomy. Employers and managers often have an idea of how and when a project should progress. However, micromanaging can stifle creativity and lead to resentment. Giving employees more say over their work can improve the final results and their outlook.
Embrace nature. Natural light is vital to keep employees in a good mood. If the office lacks this feature, it may be worth the effort to hold a team meeting outdoors if the weather allows for it. Having a walking meeting can boost creativity as the change of environment allows for new perspectives and fresh ideas.

Improving motivation in the workplace doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Implementing some or all of the above ideas can help boost productivity, improve workplace morale, and have a noticeable effect on employee attendance. To learn more about reducing absenteeism, contact the experts at Actec.

How Poor Employee Attendance Affects Your Bottom Line

Posted on

December 17th, 2018

Andrew

Employee absences have a far-reaching effect on businesses. Routine absences cost companies money due to a decrease in productivity from the missing employee. An employee who is absent on a regular basis affects other worker’s productivity as well since the remaining staff will have to take on the absent employee’s work to meet deadlines. Spread loading work in this manner can also affect morale. Staff members who have to work late will swiftly come to resent the absent employee and likely experience a dip in motivation. It is vital for employers to understand how absenteeism affects the workplace so they can draft and implement effective attendance policies.

Employee and Company Growth

Most businesses hire an individual with the intention to draw on their expertise as well as help them grow in their skills. This benefits the employee as well as the company as it ensures mutual growth. An employee must be present in order to achieve sufficient professional development. Otherwise, it will be almost impossible for an employee to learn new skills. In fact, an employee may experience a regression in their skill set from a disruptive work schedule.

Continuity and Job Performance

An employee with poor attendance affects workflow and continuity for larger projects. A project either comes to a halt or slows down when an employee is not present to do their share of the work. Existing staff members or temporary hires must step in to fill the gap. This is less than ideal because other employees have their own work to perform and temporary workers take time to train.

Employees who rack up several absences without discernible consequences can affect the job performance of other staff members. The cause for this is twofold. Some employees may feel slighted for their efforts. They come to work on time and do their job while the absent employee receives the same benefits without the work. Other employees may see that management is not cracking down on absences. This can cause employees with good attendance to start taking advantage of a weak absenteeism policy.

Conflict Amongst Staff

The staff members left to take on the absent employee’s workload will become resentful over time. This can result in passive aggressive behavior or overt conflicts in the workplace. This can further disrupt productivity, as the employees will not work well together. It also creates a toxic atmosphere that can affect employees not otherwise involved in the conflict. If left unchecked, employers can experience high turnover rates.

Understanding how chronic absenteeism affects your company’s finances and workplace morale is key to implementing effective absence management solutions. Actec can help your business put an absence reporting program into place to track the frequency and cost of absences, increase productivity by reducing absenteeism, and more. To learn more, contact us today.

6 Rules to Follow to Prevent Office-Wide Flu

Posted on

December 10th, 2018

Andrew

Flu season is in full force and people who work in close quarters are at a much higher risk of contracting the disease. The flu can spread in a six-foot radius from a person carrying it. Coughing, sneezing, and talking can spread germs through the air and onto nearby objects. Touching a contaminated surface can spread the contagion if the individuals then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose. Employees who work in a cubical setting or interact with each other closely need to take precautions to avoid getting sick.

Wash your hands often. This may seem obvious, but many people only give their hands a cursory scrub. Individuals that work in an office setting need to wash their hands often with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds to reduce the risk of spreading germs. They should also make sure to use a new clean towel every time. Reusing hand towels is a fast way to spread germs.
Disinfect common area surfaces. People touch certain objects on a daily basis without giving it much thought. For example, wiping down a counter with disinfectant doesn’t do much good if everyone has to use a germ-laden door handle to enter or leave. Cleaning and disinfecting germ hot spots can help prevent an office-wide outbreak of the flu.
Wash coffee cups with hot water and soap. Many employees bring personal coffee mugs to the office, especially if there is a Keurig or coffee station in the workplace. However, many of them only give their mugs a cursory rinse when they’re finished drinking. Their logic is that they are the only person drinking from the mug, but germs can travel through the air and collect in the cup, making them ripe for transmitting diseases.
Reduce social interactions where possible. Shaking hands with coworkers may be polite, but it’s also a quick way to spread germ. Employees should try to limit physical interaction and casual conversation during an active flu season. This can reduce the spread of germs and the likelihood of getting sick.
Don’t wait for the disease to strike. Trying to stem the tide of a flu epidemic after it starts will yield poor results. Infected people are contagious a full 24 hours before symptoms begin and they remain contagious for up to 5-7 days after they initially become ill. Infected individuals can spread germs well before they are symptomatic so it behooves employees to take anti-flu measures before anyone becomes sick.
Communicate clear expectations regarding sick time – employees should know that it is not only acceptable to stay home when contagious, it is imperative. If a sick employee returns to work before they’re better they run the risk of relapsing and getting other employees sick as well.

The flu season doesn’t have to mean rampant employee absences if workplaces put the proper precautions in place. To learn more about managing employee absences, contact the experts at Actec.

How to Make Employee Wellness a Priority in 2019

Posted on

November 26th, 2018

Andrew

Employee wellness programs aren’t a new concept, but they’ve undergone a metamorphosis in recent years. When workplaces first introduced wellness programs, there was a focus on identifying health risks and implementing programs to address them. However, this was a narrow view of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Modern wellness programs take a more holistic approach to ensure the physical, mental, and fiscal health of their employees as well as many other wellness factors.

Understanding the Shifting Landscape of Wellness Programs

Human Resources and company leadership often struggle to get employees to utilize their benefits to the fullest. This responsibility extends beyond basic health care for a number of reasons. For one, if employees are struggling with mental health or financial issues, they are likely to struggle with giving their work their full focus. For another, the workplace is becoming more competitive than ever. If a rival organization offers wellness programs that meet applicants’ needs, they are likely to pull in more candidates than a business that offers basic health benefits.

Personalizing Health and Wellness Programs

Some wellness programs are universally popular while others appeal to a specific audience. Starting with programs that have the broadest appeal, the following wellness options can help businesses build a personalized wellness package:

Retirement options. Many employees wait too long to begin planning for retirement. Help employees secure the greatest retirement savings via 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, or other retirement options the company offers. Consider providing consultant services to explain employees’ options.
Managing debt. Financial insecurity can bleed into employees’ everyday life and ability to work. Offering services to consolidate and eliminate debt can help get employees out from under crushing debt. This can include counseling on how to manage debt as well as change behaviors to encourage better finance management.
Taking time off work for a minor health concern is often a struggle for employees. They don’t want to use their paid time off for a concern that may turn out to be a non-issue. There is also the inconvenience of falling ill over the weekend or holidays. Telemedicine allows employees to text, email, call, or video chat with a doctor to assess health concerns and determine if an office visit is necessary or not.
Nutrition services. This harkens back to the roots of health and wellness programs. Many of the original programs focused on improving employees’ general health and fitness by refining exercise and eating habits. These programs can be as simple as offering healthy snacks in the workplace and paying for gym memberships to as complex as bringing in an onsite nutritionist and personal trainer. By improving employees’ exercise and eating habits, they are less prone to illness and calling out of work.
Leaves of absence. Employees have a variety of concerns outside of the workplace that weigh heavily on their minds. The birth or adoption of a child, an elderly relative to care for, or other unexpected situations can require employees to take time off for an extended period of time. Offering a program that allows employees to take a leave of absence for certain circumstances can help them manage stressful situations.

Businesses need to invest in wellness programs that match their employees’ needs. While all employees appreciate retirement planning initiatives, others may not care for nutrition services. Implementing personalized wellness programs not only keeps employees happy it also keeps them present. Employees struggling with physical, emotional, or fiscal health issues are prone to stress, illness, and absenteeism. To learn more about improving employee productivity and attendance, contact the experts at Actec.

How to Keep Employees Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

Posted on

November 12th, 2018

Andrew

Cold and flu season is in full force, which means employee absences are likely to increase. One sick employee can start a domino effect of employees calling out sick and a massive loss in productivity during the final quarter. However, this doesn’t mean managers have to accept rampant disease in the office as an inevitable outcome.

Focus on Prevention Rather Than Reaction

Trying to quell germs once they invade the office is much harder than keeping them out in the first place. Stopping the spread of bacteria reduces absenteeism, improves productivity, and stabilizes office morale. The following are several steps managers can take to reduce the spread of illnesses:

Encourage or offer company-sponsored flu shots. Flu season begins in October and can last through May. Offering to pay for the shot can incentivize employees. Make sure employees are aware of any sponsored flu shot programs by sending out emails and hanging flyers in break areas.
Encourage good hygiene. Most people know they need to wash their hands after using the restroom but not many take their own workspace into consideration. Encourage employees to keep their desks clean and keep hand sanitizer nearby. A recent study shows that using hand sanitizer in the office can reduce preventable health care claims by more than 20 percent.
Encourage employees to use their sick leave. Many employees try to work even when they are ill for a number of reasons. Some may feel pressured by tight deadlines while others may fear running out of sick leave. Managers need to make sure employees know the company leadership cares about their health and doesn’t want them working while they are ill. Sick workers are less productive and can infect other employees, compounding the problem.
Invest in hands-free appliances. Employees touch several communal items throughout the day that can contribute to the spread of germs. By installing hands-free soap dispensers, sink faucets, paper towel dispensers, and more, employers can reduce the spread of disease around the office.

Taking steps to prevent the spread of germs among staff members goes a long way toward keeping employees healthy and productive. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about managing employees absences.

How to Reduce Employee Tardiness in 5 Simple Steps

Posted on

October 23rd, 2018

Andrew

Employee tardiness is an ongoing problem for many businesses. It costs companies money in diminished productivity, reduced morale, and increased stress for the staff. More than one-quarter of employees report being late to work at least once per month. The most common reasons for being late include inclement weather, traffic, and oversleeping. While tardiness is sometimes unavoidable, chronic lateness is a problem managers need to address. The following steps can help improve employee promptness:

Write a clear attendance policy. This may seem obvious, but not every employee handbook includes a section on tardiness. Many focus on sick days or vacation days without addressing arriving on time.
Looks for professional conflicts. Sometimes employees are late because they are juggling too many tasks. Employees who attend college courses or have to take care of family responsibilities may need more time in the mornings. Implementing a flexible schedule allows employees to adjust their hours to a more manageable timetable. Accommodating an employee’s agenda can help improve their work-life balance and thus reduce their tardiness.
Improve the company culture. If several employees are late on a regular basis, there may be a larger problem at play. If there is a toxic manager or aspect of the office that upsets employees, they aren’t going to make an effort to arrive on time. Taking steps to improve the work environment can reduce chronic tardiness.
Reward good attendance. Employers expect employees to show up to work on time so rewarding this minimum may seem odd. However, positive reinforcement is usually more effective than negative actions. Consider offering a restaurant gift card or bonus vacation time to employees who have perfect attendance each quarter.
Track employee attendance. Management can’t know an attendance problem exists or how bad it is without a system to track it. By keeping track of tardiness and absences, managers can address patterns of late arrivals before they become a habit.

Finding ways to reduce tardiness can improve productivity as well as the overall morale of the workplace. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about managing employee attendance.

How to Prevent Employee Burnout, Absenteeism, and Turnover

Posted on

September 17th, 2018

Andrew

Gallop conducted a recent study of 7500 full-time employees and found that almost a quarter of them (23%) felt burned out in the office on a regular basis if not at all times. Nearly half (44%) reported experiencing burnout at some point. Employees who are on the verge of mental or emotional collapse in the workplace represent a significant challenge for employers. These employees are more prone to illnesses such as depression, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, and more.

What Causes Employee Burnout?

Several factors contribute to employee burnout. These include:

Difficult or impossible deadlines
Unmanageable workload
Unfair treatment at the office
Limited support from management
Working off the clock (i.e. responding to emails and text messages during off hours)

The Cost of Employee Burnout

As mentioned above, stressed out employees are more likely to experience physical and mental health issues. These medical costs translate to $125-$190 billion in health care expenses per year. Not only that, employees experiencing burnout are more likely to suffer from attendance issues (i.e. arriving late, leaving early, or calling out often). Given enough time, excessive workplace stress can result in employee turnover, which carries significant costs for businesses. With two-thirds of employees experiencing some kind of burnout, business managers need to take steps to reduce employees’ stress or be prepared to pay the costs.

How to Prevent Employee Burnout

Part of preventing burnout is ensuring smooth business operations. For managers this means:

Knowing and cultivating employees’ strengths. When an employee is in a position that doesn’t match his or her skill set, he or she will become frustrated and disengage. Employers should take pains to match employees with jobs and tasks that allow them to utilize their skills and thrive. Encouraging employees to get involved in professional development activities can further hone their skills and motivate them.
Working on employees’ weaknesses. While employees would prefer to play to their strengths, there will always be areas of their job that intimidate them. Instead of skirting the edges of these tasks, employers should encourage employees to improve their knowledge and grow in their abilities.
Communicate often. If employers don’t communicate with their employees on a regular basis, they run the risk of overlooking employee frustrations. By maintaining frequent communications, managers and employers can identify stress points. Asking for feedback and opinions also makes employees feel like management values their opinion, which improves their overall job satisfaction. In fact, employees who feel like management supports them are 70% less likely to experience burnout.

Preventing employee burnout whenever possible is vital to keeping employees engaged and reducing absenteeism rates. If your company is struggling with poor employee attendance, contact the experts at Actec to learn how we can help.

Encourage and Improve Employee Attendance

Posted on

September 3rd, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Every business needs their employees to come to work on time; however, customer-centric jobs tend to suffer the most in the short term. While missing employees will affect productivity for all companies down the line, businesses that work face-to-face with customers on a daily basis feel the pinch right away. When employees start arriving late, leaving early, or not arriving at all, employers will have a variety of staff-wide problems on their hands. Poor attendance torpedoes morale, forces other employees to work overtime, reduces engagement, and hinders productivity.

5 Ways to Foster Better Attendance

Customer support jobs aren’t the only professions that feel immediate effects due to absenteeism. Teachers, healthcare providers, and technical support jobs all have workstations that are painfully obvious when vacant. Companies that rely on collaboration between departments also experience the effects when a major project can’t move forward. Regardless of work environment, all businesses need to keep absences under control. Several ways to achieve this include:

Create and implement rules in a uniform manner. Every employee, regardless of position, needs to receive a copy of the company handbook with clear details about leave policies during orientation. When employees know paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and vacation leave are the same for everyone, it has a positive effect on their sense of fairness. Whether an employee works in the warehouse, the front office, or the executive suite, attendance policies should apply across the board.
Manage absences by underscoring employee importance. Some absences are legitimate—employees fall ill, experience injuries, and any number of protected kinds of absences can occur. However, unscheduled absences stress out the rest of the staff, which can lead to more absences over time. When an employee calls out, their supervisor should have a conversation with that employee letting them know the staff and managers will miss them and they hope for a rapid and full recovery. When the employee returns, their supervisor should welcome them back in person and underscore the employee’s importance. When employees feel like an essential part of the team, they are less likely to call out for dubious reasons.
Be flexible whenever possible. Flextime and working from home have gained in popularity for good reason. Parents dropping off children at school or picking them up from childcare can’t always work a traditional 9-5. For example, allowing them to shift their day to work 7-3 can allow their spouses or partners to drop children off at school while they pick them up afterward. This cuts down on the need for childcare and reduces stress over finances. While an employee’s personal life isn’t the supervisor’s job to manage, their personal stress can affect their attendance and performance.
Reward employees for good attendance. Some employers balk at the idea of paying their employees extra for showing up on time to do their job. However, all employees like to feel appreciated. Recognizing stellar attendance make employees feel valued and thereby improves their loyalty. Reward programs can be as simple as free movie tickets or as grand as earning an extra vacation day for every month of perfect attendance.

Too many attendance policies are consequence-driven. While there need to be penalties for absenteeism, focusing on the positive is much more likely to yield the attendance results an employer wants. If your company is struggling with absenteeism, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about how our absence reporting program can improve attendance.

4 Things You Need to Know to Reduce Workplace Stress

Posted on

August 6th, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_174875483 Stress is one of the leading causes of employee absenteeism. However, stress is a multipronged issue with several sources. Some of the most common include:

Excessive employee workload
Issues with coworkers
Unengaging or unsatisfying work
Low salaries
Limited opportunities for growth or advancement

With over three-fourths of workers reporting feeling stressed, successful managers need to make themselves aware of the stress points and take steps to mitigate them.

How to Tackle Stress in the Workplace

Identifying problems isn’t enough—great managers will take the initiative to resolve them. The following are several methods that can reduce different types of workplace stressors.

Set clear goals and expectations. If staff members have to sit and wonder what they are supposed to be doing or what the end goal is, they are wasting time. Not only does this stress them out, it also creates delays, which can compound their stress. By providing clear instructions and appropriate details, employees will understand what they should work on and why.
Encourage activity or exercise. Encourage employees to get moving whether they go for a walk during lunch or hit the gym. Moving the body can allow the brain to take a mental break. Staring at a screen for eight hours straight for days on end can stress an employee to the point where they become ill or lose motivation. Encouraging employees to take a 5-minute stretch break or walk every couple of hours can allow them to decompress and improve their focus.
Imbue flexibility into your company culture. Employees have lives outside of the workplace and great managers will recognize this. Employees need flexibility to keep their work and life needs in balance. Allowing for flexible schedules so employees can come in earlier or later will help accommodate parents with children in school or employees who are attending college courses at night. Offering the ability to work an extra hour per day, four days a week so employees can take a half day on Friday can also boost morale. Implementing a work from home policy can reduce employee stress as well as it gives them the ability to work from home if they can’t come in due to caring for a sick child or family member.
Recognize employees’ achievements. Recognizing team members’ efforts makes employees feel appreciated and valued. This can improve their engagement and productivity as well. Acknowledging hard work can be as simple as having a chat about the great work the employee has been doing or as grand as recognizing employees during meetings or events.

Great managers will make sure their employees know they care about reducing their stress. This fosters loyalty, improves workplace productivity, and reduces absenteeism due to stress. To learn more about improving employee attendance, contact the experts at Actec.

How to Curb Summertime Blues and Improve Attendance

Posted on

July 18th, 2018

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Sunny days can entice employees to fake a sick day. There isn’t anything unusual about waking up on a beautiful day and wishing to spend it lounging by the ocean than in an office. However, more and more people are giving into this impulse and calling out of work. This is a challenge for employers as it‘s difficult to determine who is ill and who is spending the day at the beach.
Economic authorities refer to the moment when employees decide to call out of work to enjoy a sunny day the bliss point. One expert found the exact statistics to trigger the bliss point are:

81 degrees Fahrenheit including humidity (27.2 degrees Celsius)
Clear skies
A gentle breeze (9 mph or 14.7 km/h)

Most workplaces blame stress for why workers misuse their sick leave, but it’s worth looking at the weather as a possible motivator.

How to Reduce Weather-Induced Absences

Compounding the problem, the employees most likely to call out of work to enjoy the weather are the ones who can least afford it. For example, new employees or at-will employees are on tentative grounds as their employers can fire them with relative ease. While remaining gainfully employed should be reason enough, employers plagued by absenteeism may need to provide another incentive.
Offering flexible hours, such as arriving earlier in the day to be able to leave earlier and still enjoy the weather may be enough to tip the scales. Employers could also consider allowing employees to work an extra hour Monday-Thursday so they can take off half a day on Fridays.
Businesses also need to consider the work environment they provide for their staff. If the building is lacking sufficient natural light, stuffy, or otherwise uncomfortable during the summer months, employees will actively want to avoid it. Providing simple but fun summer activities can help as well such as offering popsicles in the break room. Getting employees outside can reduce the impulse to call out of work as well. Companies can achieve this by encouraging employees to go for a walk during their lunch, eat outdoors, or hold walking meetings.
If your business is struggling with summertime absenteeism, Actec can help. Our absence reporting system can help employers reduce the frequency and duration of absences as well as improve employee productivity. Contact us to learn more.