With Thanksgiving behind us, shorter days signal the start of winter, the season of holiday busyness, visiting with family, and sometimes the flu. In short, many employees are absent from work more during the next few months due to personal engagements and sickness. While part of this is just the nature of the season, there are a few things that employers can do to help reduce absenteeism in the workplace. 

Have clear expectations. 

Does your company have an attendance policy? Do employees know what it is? Make sure you clearly communicate what your expectations are for attendance, and what the consequences are for absenteeism. Have the policy posted somewhere that employees can refer back to, and be sure you enforce the policy consistently across all departments and throughout the whole year.  

Improve employee wellness. 

Try to reduce employee absences due to sickness by implementing workplace programs that will promote wellness. Consider offering flu shots to staff. Try implementing a fitness program, such as incentives for employees to exercise, paid gym memberships, etc.  

Encourage open communication. 

Make sure employees feel comfortable talking to supervisors. Encourage openness and mutual trust, so when an employee does have something that comes up where they have to miss work, they are willing to be honest about the situation. Similarly, work to communicate with employees so they stay motivated and engaged at work. If employees feel supported, they are more likely to make every effort to miss as little work as possible. 

Evaluate your attendance policies.  

Is your business able to offer flexible schedules as an alternative to paid time off? Do you offer employees a reasonable amount of sick and vacation days? If you still struggle with employee attendance, consider rewarding good attendance or offering incentives to staff who do not use all of their sick days. 

Excessive absenteeism can effect productivity, profits, and morale. While it can sometimes be a hard problem to face because there are both good reasons and bad excuses of why an employee might miss work, there are steps you can take to reduce the effects of absenteeism in your workplace. For more help with your staffing needs, call your local Penmac Staffing office.