Improving Employee Attendance and Engagement

Posted on

December 11th, 2017

shutterstock_174875483 A business cannot operate without its employees. When employees call out often or exhibit other attendance issues (i.e. arrive late, leave early, etc.), there is a problem within the company. Left unchecked, staff morale will start to decline and turnover rates will start to increase. There are plenty of businesses waiting to reel in skilled but dissatisfied workers from competing companies, so it behooves employers to ensure their workforce stays motivated.

Professional Development

No employee wants to remain stagnant in his or her position. Professional development opportunities not only expands employees’ skill sets, it also helps them improve their job performance and productivity. Consider cross-training employees in different departments or have them attend seminars.

Incentives

Some workweeks are hectic and every company experiences busy seasons. However, failing to recognize when employees go above and beyond will tank morale. Given enough time and neglect, employees will start to look for other job opportunities. One method to combat this is to provide small bonuses such as free movie tickets for every month of perfect attendance. Rewarding and incentivizing desired behaviors has two benefits. First, the employee experiences a boost in job satisfaction. Second, other employees will take notice and emulate the behaviors to achieve acknowledgment as well.

Flexibility

Millennials value flexibility in the workplace. As the percentage of millennials in the workforce is ever increasing, it behooves business owners to address their needs. Employers can incorporate flexibility in a number of ways:

Offer a once a week telecommute option where applicable
Allow employees to work from home when needed (i.e. when staying home with a sick child or if weather prevents them from reaching the office safely)
Allow flexible start and end times to help employees achieve a better work-life balance

Communicating with employees can provide invaluable insights as well. Employers may think they have a good read on their employees, but, without asking them, it is all speculation. Employers should also discuss attendance expectations with their staff to prevent any confusion.
Managing employee attendance is an important job and one employers should take seriously. Failing to monitor employee attendance can affect productivity and hurt a company’s bottom line. To learn more about absence management, contact the experts at Actec.

The Truth About Employee Wellness Programs and Why They Fail

Posted on

November 28th, 2017

Andrew

fitness imag Employee wellness programs have taken the workplace by storm. Seventy-nine percent of large businesses and 44 percent of mid-sized businesses offer wellness programs. However, no employer can label his or her wellness program a success without measuring its value. While it is great to implement wellness programs, employers need to ensure they are effective to reap any benefits. However, over 60 percent of those that offer such programs fail to track the return on investment (ROI).
While few large-scale studies on the value of employee wellness program exist, some small ones do. A study by the Harvard Business Review found businesses with wellness programs saw a one to two percent increase in healthcare costs compared to the national average of seven percent. Ensuring the success of employee wellness programs is possible if businesses take the following approach.

Viable Wellness Programs Are Top Down

A wellness program will fail to thrive if management at the executive level does not engage. If CEOs host and participate in quarterly health screenings, it will show their employees that they are committed to improving the health of the organization as a whole. Other examples of nurturing long-term health are offering healthy meals at meetings and stocking the vending machines with nutritious snacks. If employers want to improve their employees’ health, it must be a long-term commitment. Holding one health fair per year while continuing to stock the break room with donuts sends a mixed message and will yield poor results.

Simplify Participation

If it is hard to engage or easy to miss the notice, employees will overlook wellness programs. An employer cannot send one reminder email or post one announcement and expect employees to take notice. Employees receive dozens of emails daily and are busier than ever. Employers can utilize several methods of communication (emails, text messages, etc.), but an online portal is the most likely method to succeed. Providing a single location for updates and screening results makes engagement easy for employees.

Seek Professional Support

Wellness Programs often fall under the purview of HR departments, but most HR employees are not equipped to manage the programs. Wellness programs can be complicated and time-consuming so it is best to invest in providers and vendors who are familiar with health screenings, health coaching, and so on. Wellness experts can schedule events, help employees with enrollment, manage communication efforts, and more.
Wellness programs are growing in popularity for obvious reasons: they increase employee engagement, improve morale, address budding employee health issues before they become a significant problem, and reduce absenteeism. Improving employee health has a direct correlation to improving their attendance. This in turn improves a company’s productivity and bottom line. To learn more about how employee wellness programs affect absence management, contact the experts at Actec.

How to Improve Productivity in the Workplace

Posted on

August 18th, 2017

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy Absence management encompasses all facets of attendance, including tardiness, frequent or lengthy breaks, and more. These all affect workplace productivity, which has a direct effect on a business’ bottom line. By resolving productivity issues, employers can reduce the related attendance concerns.

Recruit the Right Candidates

If an employer notices continual attendance issues and high turnover rates, the problem may be with whom they are recruiting. Hiring a driven and productive individual from the outset will yield greater results than trying to mold an apathetic individual into a model employee. One way to achieve this is to broaden expectations of what the ideal candidate looks like. For example, older workers or individuals returning to the workplace after a lapse in employment may fit the bill better than traditional entry-level applicants.

Take a Hard Look at Management

If a business has motivated employees, but still experiences problems with productivity, it may be time to examine the management team and their employee relationships. Promoting from within can reinforce a culture of investment in the workplace and a feeling of mutual success. But if a company promotes an individual above their skill level, they may not possess the qualities needed to manage their staff effectively. This often happens when a business promotes talented individuals to a management role because they were good at their previous job. Excelling in a role does not equate to excelling at managing that role. New managers need help navigating their new position. Businesses can avoid this pitfall by investing in developing their management team through both internal and external resources, and by placing a higher-than-usual value on interpersonal skills.

Use Honest Job Descriptions

Employees who abuse their sick leave, take excessive breaks, or arrive late on a regular basis are likely unhappy with their job. Employees who dislike their position will start to look for new employment opportunities. High turnover rates are disruptive, kill productivity, and can impede customer satisfaction. To help reduce new employee turnover rates, companies should be honest in their job descriptions and their representation of the workplace. Recruiting individuals who are unaware of the downsides of their position will feel disappointed when they begin their job. While no company wants to highlight a position’s shortcomings, they can counterbalance the problems by highlighting the benefits.
If your organization has positions or a workplace that don’t have much going for them, it’s time to consider investments in infrastructure, reorganizing employee roles, and creative adjustments to total compensation to make employee recruitment, onboarding, and retention significantly more effective. Addressing employee morale and attendance issues can improve workplace productivity and lead to greater profitability. Actec understands managing attendance can be a daunting task. To learn more about implementing an absence reporting program to improve employee attendance, contact us today.

Detrimental Effects of Employee Absenteeism on the Workplace

Posted on

May 26th, 2017

Andrew

shutterstock_227384539 - Copy The problems associated with employee absenteeism are not limited to the employee and the consequences are far-reaching. Employee absenteeism can affect productivity, finances, and workplace morale. Attendance issues affect a business’s bottom line as well as the rest of the staff. That is why it is vital for employers to develop and enforce an absence reporting policy. Without proper attendance protocols in place, employers can encounter some or all of the issues discussed below.

Poor Performance

When an employee is absent on a regular basis, they may be unable to complete their work by the given deadline. Failure to come into work on a regular basis impedes the employee’s ability to complete projects. However, it also bleeds over into other departments. If the employee is working on a beginning or middle phase of a project, staff members responsible for the final pieces cannot begin work. This causes a domino effect of delays and loss of productivity.

Limited Growth Potential

Employers expect employees to continue to grow in abilities and expertise. If an employee misses work on a regular basis, it is unlikely they will be able to work on their professional development. Instead of growing their skill set, the employee will be playing catch up and trying to stay abreast with their current workload.

Strife Among Staff

Other staff members will grow to resent their chronically absent coworkers. It requires them to pick up the slack and work longer hours. This leads to tension and can cause poor working relations for future projects. The remaining staff can come to resent management as well. Employees without attendance issues will perceive that management is allowing the absent employee to continue missing work without repercussions.
This is why having an absence reporting and management system is essential. Without these procedures and tools in place, management may not even realize an attendance issue exists. Actec can help businesses implement an absence reporting and management system to avoid the above issues. To learn more, contact us.

Advanced Absence Reporting & Analytics Protect Margins and Ensure Compliance

Posted on

May 5th, 2017

Andrew

absence management video image border One of the most prevalent issues that employers face is employee absenteeism. Recent DOL statistics estimate that three percent of an employer’s workforce can be absent on any given day. Furthermore, surveys have shown that employee paid absences cost employers over 20 percent of their total payroll. While most of the absences are legitimate, up to one-third of them are not related to illness.
Inaccurate absence tracking leads to significant losses in not only margin but also productivity and even workplace morale. To help reduce instances of employees taking fraudulent sick days, employers can implement electronic absence reporting. The benefits are multi-fold, including:

Employees who know their employers are tracking how often they call out tend to rethink taking a gratuitous day off.
By collecting absentee data, employers can gather averages for how many days employees take leave. Employees who know this information can compare their time off to the status quo. Some employees may not realize they are taking more leave than is normal without this data.
The data can help employers target problem areas. If one department has a much higher absentee rate than the others there could be a leadership issue. The data can help employers address the issues and prevent similar problems from happening in the future. Ensuring employees are happy goes a long way to reducing absenteeism.
Clear and accessible rules and methods for reporting sick time should help employees to understand and make use of the system as its intended.

Employers who implement electronic absence reporting systems should be mindful when using the data. The end goal should be to support and improve employees’ workplace experiences. If employees view the data collection as a means to mete out punishment, it could have the opposite intended effect.
Employers should make it clear that any electronic reporting system is meant to enrich employees’ health and wellness while at work. To learn more about optimizing your absence reporting procedures, contact us.

Manage Absenteeism with Wellness Programs

Posted on

March 17th, 2016

Andrew

shutterstock_229854826 1920x750 There 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.

Make 2016 the Year You Get Absenteeism under Control

Posted on

November 30th, 2015

Andrew

December is the time when organizations create a plan for success in the New Year. As your company determines its business New Year’s Resolutions, you will want to put absence management high on the list. Absenteeism increases costs and decreases efficiency. Instituting an absence management solution now will help you increase productivity in 2016.
Absence Management
Efficient absence management includes:

Having one number for employees to call to report an absence
Understanding the number of absences by employee
Ensuring compliance of all state and federal laws
Having a consistence leave policy for all employees
Aligning absence management with production needs

When a company is able to create and maintain an effective absence management policy, your organization will be able to:

Reduce the number of absences
Reduce the amount of time spent on absence reporting
Determine seasonal staffing needs
Increase productivity
Increase retention

One way to improve absence management is to create an absence-reporting program that ensures management and human resources have up to date information. The experts at Actec can help you find a solution that will make 2016 the year you get absenteeism under control. Contact us today.

Reduce Employee Absenteeism by Increasing Understanding

Posted on

November 10th, 2015

Andrew

absence management video image border Do your employees understand your company attendance policy? You might be surprised to find out many employees don’t know much about company policies beyond how much PTO time they have accrued. Helping your staff understand your company’s absentee management policies will reduce employee confusion and absenteeism.
What’s An Unexcused Absence?
Does your company differentiate between excused and unexcused absences? Most organizations do and try to discourage unexcused absences because of their effect on production. However, many employees don’t understand the difference, especially if they use PTO time to cover both.
Make sure workers understand that if they don’t obtain advanced approval from a manager regarding time off it is considered an unexcused absence. And if your organization terminates employees for accruing too many unexcused absences, make sure they understand this policy as well. If they think they are okay as long as they have PTO time then an employee may not comprehend why they are receiving warnings from HR.
Partial Absence Policies
Another common area of confusion between employees and management is concerning partial absences. Employees often figure as long as they show up for their shift they are in the clear. They may not realize the impact that coming in late or leaving early has on a company.
As with unexcused absences, most companies have policies regarding partial absences. Managers need to make sure that employees understand leaving at noon for a doctor’s appointment and not returning for the rest of the day is a partial absence and may result in disciplinary action if it happens too often.
Many HR and employment issues stem from an unclear absentee management policy. Companies should make sure all employees have a thorough understanding of attendance policies when they are hired. Management should also periodically review attendance policies with their teams to make sure there are no misconceptions. For more information on how you can get absence management under control, click here.

Creating an Absence Policy That is Fair and Effective

Posted on

October 27th, 2015

Andrew

shutterstock_252811903 - Copy In order to be able to track absenteeism in your organization, you need to have a defined absence policy. This way everyone within the organization understands the company’s definitions and expectations regarding attendance. In order for an absence policy to be successful, it needs to be fair and effective.
Define All Terms
Managers and employees need to understand the company’s definition of terms such as tardy, absence, leaving early, failure to call in, legitimate absence and illegitimate absence. A defined policy that is outlined in an employee manual will make sure that all employees understand the terms and everyone is treated fairly.
Traditional or Non-Traditional Policy
You also need to decide if your company wants to follow the traditional absence policy where everyone has a set number of vacation and sick days or non-traditional where everyone receives a vacation days and a specific number of occurrences. Many companies are adopting the non-traditional policy because if offers a way to track tardiness, absences and failure to call in.
Non-Traditional Policy
The non-traditional policy offers a specified number of occurrences that employees can use or be charged with depending on the type of absences. For example, being two hours late can be considered a half occurrence, while being absent is a full occurrence.
One of the benefits to employees of the occurrence system is that if he is absent four days in a row it is only considered one occurrence. Another possible benefit to employees is that some companies allow occurrences to be earned.
For example, if an employee isn’t absent, late or leaves work early for four months she can earn back half an occurrence.
Disadvantage of a Non-Traditional Policy
While the non-traditional policy may offer benefits to employees, it can be difficult for companies to manage. Managers have to track the number of occurrences an employee has, warn employees who are reaching their limit, and monitor if employees have earned occurrences back.
If your company is considering a non-traditional policy or looking for help with managing this process, click here to learn more.

Absence Management of Exempt Employees

Posted on

October 13th, 2015

Andrew

shutterstock_174966584 sm Absence management can be difficult if you are a large organization or if you have full and part time employees. Management of employee absences can become even more complicated if some of your employees have exempt status. Make sure you understand Federal Labor Standards to avoid falling into common pitfalls with your exempt employees.
Department of Labor Audits Companies
If any of your employees have exempt status you should be aware that the Department of Labor does perform audits. The organization wants to make sure that designated employees truly qualify for exempt status and that your company is following the rules. If you aren’t, then the Department of Labor may revoke the status and your organization may be required to pay the employee retroactively for any overtime or deducted wages.
Common Mistakes Most Companies Make
Many organizations don’t fully understand the exempt status and make some common mistakes, including:

Only paying an employee for a half day if they left early
Deducting pay if the employee takes time off
Deducting pay if the employee has jury duty
Deducting pay if the employee calls in sick

According to the Federal Labor Standards, you must pay an exempt employee for a full day as long as they are at work for at least five minutes of their shift. An exempt employee must also be paid for days that are missed due to illness or time off unless they miss an entire week.
There are of course exceptions to this rule, such as if the employee has vacation time or sick days he can use to replace the missing pay. There are also exemptions under the Family Medical Leave Act if your organization has 50 or more employees.
Understanding and managing employee absences gets complicated but there are ways to make tracking employee absenteeism easier. For more information on how you can get absence management under control, click here.