CAM Solutions will be re-launching their website before the end of the year. Watch this space.
Your CAMS team!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
The virtual office set up and productivity levels
Employees working from home in a virtual office environment are generally more productive than their counterparts in the “traditional office” environment. This is according to Johnny Johnson, CEO of Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions (CAMS), and absenteeism management specialists that generate statistical data, which companies can use to monitor their absenteeism levels.
CAMS owns sick and health management software which is used by various service providers to optimize their consulting services for their clients. In addition, CAMS collates sick absenteeism information and provides benchmarks and overall sick absenteeism statistics. The actual sick absenteeism management consulting services can be provided by preferred providers contacted with CAMS.
Johnson says that among the major causes of absenteeism in South Africa are work and life issues, which include stress and burnout as well as personal needs and family crisis. When people work from home, they are less stressed, have more time to do their work and can take care of family issues because of their flexible working hours.
“According to our research, there were 524 incidents of sick leave related to psychological reasons, such as stress and depression in 2005, which means 4.5% of all sick leave days taken were due to stress. This particular form of sick absenteeism is no longer an issue in those who work from home as they can manage their time, and thus their stressors, more effectively, “ says Johnson.
“CAMS recently sold the wellness management and absenteeism consulting portion of its business and now my team and I work in virtual offices which are connected via a network. Whereas before, I had 10 people on the payroll, now there are a handful of us connected via the latest technology. I found that the payroll and overheads of the larger company became the tail that wagged the dog. I spent more time dealing with personnel issues than I did with growing the business.
“Now I prefer to work with other free agents on a contractor basis. Finding a good contractor is as difficult as finding a good employee but the relationship is more businesslike and less paternalistic. I work with IT personnel, designers and my PR on this basis,” he says.
“It’s the Information Age and the virtual office is the way of the future. In terms of traffic congestion, the expenses of running a large office, employee cost of travel, as well as sick absenteeism due to the stress of not being at home to solve crises, it makes perfect sense to do business this way.
“My team meets up regularly to discuss matters needing attention. We also visit clients on site when needed. We use wireless networks connected over the Internet via broadband with secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections between each other. These methods increase our productivity and help keep our costs down, thus making the business more efficient and increasing the value we can deliver to our clients,” Johnson notes.
Executive PA Michelle Bennett at CAMS says, “Working from home has actually been a huge adjustment for me – I really miss the corporate set-up. What I do like though is that I can work on my own time, there are times when I can’t sleep and am up at 05:00 and I start working. Or there is nothing good on TV in the evenings so I work. The flexibility is great, but I miss the interaction and believe it or not – I miss dressing up for work.
“I think that I am more productive when working from home, as there are no interruptions, meetings or traveling to worry about. I easily add about an hour or two of extra productivity time to my workday. And its pretty much stress free.” she adds.
CAMS owns sick and health management software which is used by various service providers to optimize their consulting services for their clients. In addition, CAMS collates sick absenteeism information and provides benchmarks and overall sick absenteeism statistics. The actual sick absenteeism management consulting services can be provided by preferred providers contacted with CAMS.
Johnson says that among the major causes of absenteeism in South Africa are work and life issues, which include stress and burnout as well as personal needs and family crisis. When people work from home, they are less stressed, have more time to do their work and can take care of family issues because of their flexible working hours.
“According to our research, there were 524 incidents of sick leave related to psychological reasons, such as stress and depression in 2005, which means 4.5% of all sick leave days taken were due to stress. This particular form of sick absenteeism is no longer an issue in those who work from home as they can manage their time, and thus their stressors, more effectively, “ says Johnson.
“CAMS recently sold the wellness management and absenteeism consulting portion of its business and now my team and I work in virtual offices which are connected via a network. Whereas before, I had 10 people on the payroll, now there are a handful of us connected via the latest technology. I found that the payroll and overheads of the larger company became the tail that wagged the dog. I spent more time dealing with personnel issues than I did with growing the business.
“Now I prefer to work with other free agents on a contractor basis. Finding a good contractor is as difficult as finding a good employee but the relationship is more businesslike and less paternalistic. I work with IT personnel, designers and my PR on this basis,” he says.
“It’s the Information Age and the virtual office is the way of the future. In terms of traffic congestion, the expenses of running a large office, employee cost of travel, as well as sick absenteeism due to the stress of not being at home to solve crises, it makes perfect sense to do business this way.
“My team meets up regularly to discuss matters needing attention. We also visit clients on site when needed. We use wireless networks connected over the Internet via broadband with secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections between each other. These methods increase our productivity and help keep our costs down, thus making the business more efficient and increasing the value we can deliver to our clients,” Johnson notes.
Executive PA Michelle Bennett at CAMS says, “Working from home has actually been a huge adjustment for me – I really miss the corporate set-up. What I do like though is that I can work on my own time, there are times when I can’t sleep and am up at 05:00 and I start working. Or there is nothing good on TV in the evenings so I work. The flexibility is great, but I miss the interaction and believe it or not – I miss dressing up for work.
“I think that I am more productive when working from home, as there are no interruptions, meetings or traveling to worry about. I easily add about an hour or two of extra productivity time to my workday. And its pretty much stress free.” she adds.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Calculation of Absenteeism Rates
By Johnny Johnson – CEO of absenteeism management specialists, CAM Solutions
Many employers do not pay enough attention to absenteeism, both the measurement and affects of absenteeism and its control. Almost all employers understand that high absenteeism rates have a negative affect on their business but the monetary effect of abnormally high absenteeism is usually not quantified.
AIC Insurance specialises in the underwriting of the direct cost of absenteeism and proactively managing the time that employees are not at work. Through contact with over 60 South African companies, we have found that in most instances employers are not aware of their absenteeism rate or they have not measured the absenteeism rates correctly. The old adage “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” applies and we have found that in the cases where there is uncertainty concerning the level of absenteeism there is almost always a low level of management control accompanied by a high level of absenteeism.
It is also common for employers, who have calculated their absenteeism rates, not to quantify the monetary cost of the absenteeism. This is particularly important with regard to unplanned absenteeism, which is mainly sick absenteeism and absence without leave (AWOL). The absenteeism rate multiplied by the basic earnings will provide management with the direct cost of absenteeism.
The indirect cost of absenteeism is often overlooked. This includes the cost of replacing the absent employee in critical positions, possible overtime payments to these replacement workers, as well as the affect the absenteeism has on workforce levels, medical aid costs, group life and disability premiums. We estimate that the indirect cost of absenteeism is at least 200% of the direct cost of absenteeism at normal absenteeism levels. This factor will be different for various industry types and will also increase when the absenteeism rate increases.
The general lack of focus on absenteeism is possibly due to the fact that the costs of absenteeism are not shown separately on management reports. This could be due to the fact that the amount incurred for paid absence is usually grouped with all staff costs. This includes the unproductive portion as well as the cost of replacement workers and overtime. The indirect costs are more problematic and it is very seldom that employers quantify the monetary affect that absenteeism has on the indirect areas such as production volumes, quality and morale.
Steps to manage and control absenteeism
It is important for any employer to follow a focussed approach and it is recommended that the following steps be considered when developing a plan to manage and control absenteeism.
Develop a company attendance policy and communicate this to all employees. The importance of attendance should be stressed and the policy should be communicated to all employees as a means of developing a culture of attendance. A balance between being firm and fair is suggested.
Evaluate and modify company policies and procedures to ensure that the correct framework exists within which to manage and control absenteeism.
Design a detection, monitoring and reporting system which will provide accurate and reliable data for reporting on absenteeism. This should ideally be based on information extracted from the time and attendance system, which is then filtered until final absenteeism data is obtained.
Calculate absenteeism rates and break these down into the various forms of absenteeism - both planned (annual leave, study leave, training leave, paternity, maternity leave, etc) and unplanned (sick leave, AWOL, family responsibility etc). It is recommended that these are incorporated into the monthly management reporting system.
Determine the appropriate level and department that will be responsible for absenteeism management. The best results are achieved when the departments where unplanned absenteeism has the greatest negative affect assume direct responsibility for managing absenteeism. The Human Resources Department should play a support role only - by assisting with setting policy and providing guidance for counselling and disciplinary procedures.
Prepare a detailed study to determine the affect that absenteeism has on all costs, determine appropriate factors and apply these to the direct absenteeism rates to obtain the total cost of absenteeism for the entity. This can be done by department or more accurately per employee.
Over time, develop benchmarks for certain absenteeism indicators and measure employees against these indicators.
Based on the broad results and individual profiles determined over a reasonable period of time, establish the causes of high absenteeism. The causes could be due to, among others things, social problems, occupational risks, employee morale, poor management and control systems, health problems, poor working conditions as well as delinquent employees.
Formulate attendance management guidelines which will focus on:
Policy
Ongoing monitoring and reporting
Introduction of employee assistance programmes
Calculation of sick absenteeism rates:
The calculation of sick absenteeism rates can at times be complicated with various methods evolving. As a rule, the rate should be based on productive lost time as a percentage of total available productive time for a certain period.
We recommend using the following formula:
A = B / C
Where:
A = Absenteeism rate for the period
B = Total number of mandays lost due to absenteeism in the period
C = Total number of working mandays available in the period
And where:
C = D x E
D = Total employees planned to work in the period
E = Number of available working days in the period
Where shifts are worked the calculation is more accurate if the “days” in the above formula is changed to hours.
The calculation and accumulation of the mandays/manhours lost due to absenteeism and the total planned working mandays/manhours per working period or shift will improve the accuracy of the measurement.
In addition the calculation should be performed per department to provide further indications on where possible interventions are required.
The higher sick absenteeism rates in the lower income groups are due largely to their poor living conditions and also reflects the type of work, mainly manual, that these employees are involved with. The level of income is also an indication of the level of responsibility. We have found that employees with lower levels of responsibility have higher levels of absenteeism.
Sick Absenteeism in Large Companies versus Smaller Companies:
Small employers are more successful at limiting sick leave abuse than the larger companies.
Many employers do not pay enough attention to absenteeism, both the measurement and affects of absenteeism and its control. Almost all employers understand that high absenteeism rates have a negative affect on their business but the monetary effect of abnormally high absenteeism is usually not quantified.
AIC Insurance specialises in the underwriting of the direct cost of absenteeism and proactively managing the time that employees are not at work. Through contact with over 60 South African companies, we have found that in most instances employers are not aware of their absenteeism rate or they have not measured the absenteeism rates correctly. The old adage “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” applies and we have found that in the cases where there is uncertainty concerning the level of absenteeism there is almost always a low level of management control accompanied by a high level of absenteeism.
It is also common for employers, who have calculated their absenteeism rates, not to quantify the monetary cost of the absenteeism. This is particularly important with regard to unplanned absenteeism, which is mainly sick absenteeism and absence without leave (AWOL). The absenteeism rate multiplied by the basic earnings will provide management with the direct cost of absenteeism.
The indirect cost of absenteeism is often overlooked. This includes the cost of replacing the absent employee in critical positions, possible overtime payments to these replacement workers, as well as the affect the absenteeism has on workforce levels, medical aid costs, group life and disability premiums. We estimate that the indirect cost of absenteeism is at least 200% of the direct cost of absenteeism at normal absenteeism levels. This factor will be different for various industry types and will also increase when the absenteeism rate increases.
The general lack of focus on absenteeism is possibly due to the fact that the costs of absenteeism are not shown separately on management reports. This could be due to the fact that the amount incurred for paid absence is usually grouped with all staff costs. This includes the unproductive portion as well as the cost of replacement workers and overtime. The indirect costs are more problematic and it is very seldom that employers quantify the monetary affect that absenteeism has on the indirect areas such as production volumes, quality and morale.
Steps to manage and control absenteeism
It is important for any employer to follow a focussed approach and it is recommended that the following steps be considered when developing a plan to manage and control absenteeism.
Develop a company attendance policy and communicate this to all employees. The importance of attendance should be stressed and the policy should be communicated to all employees as a means of developing a culture of attendance. A balance between being firm and fair is suggested.
Evaluate and modify company policies and procedures to ensure that the correct framework exists within which to manage and control absenteeism.
Design a detection, monitoring and reporting system which will provide accurate and reliable data for reporting on absenteeism. This should ideally be based on information extracted from the time and attendance system, which is then filtered until final absenteeism data is obtained.
Calculate absenteeism rates and break these down into the various forms of absenteeism - both planned (annual leave, study leave, training leave, paternity, maternity leave, etc) and unplanned (sick leave, AWOL, family responsibility etc). It is recommended that these are incorporated into the monthly management reporting system.
Determine the appropriate level and department that will be responsible for absenteeism management. The best results are achieved when the departments where unplanned absenteeism has the greatest negative affect assume direct responsibility for managing absenteeism. The Human Resources Department should play a support role only - by assisting with setting policy and providing guidance for counselling and disciplinary procedures.
Prepare a detailed study to determine the affect that absenteeism has on all costs, determine appropriate factors and apply these to the direct absenteeism rates to obtain the total cost of absenteeism for the entity. This can be done by department or more accurately per employee.
Over time, develop benchmarks for certain absenteeism indicators and measure employees against these indicators.
Based on the broad results and individual profiles determined over a reasonable period of time, establish the causes of high absenteeism. The causes could be due to, among others things, social problems, occupational risks, employee morale, poor management and control systems, health problems, poor working conditions as well as delinquent employees.
Formulate attendance management guidelines which will focus on:
Policy
Ongoing monitoring and reporting
Introduction of employee assistance programmes
Calculation of sick absenteeism rates:
The calculation of sick absenteeism rates can at times be complicated with various methods evolving. As a rule, the rate should be based on productive lost time as a percentage of total available productive time for a certain period.
We recommend using the following formula:
A = B / C
Where:
A = Absenteeism rate for the period
B = Total number of mandays lost due to absenteeism in the period
C = Total number of working mandays available in the period
And where:
C = D x E
D = Total employees planned to work in the period
E = Number of available working days in the period
Where shifts are worked the calculation is more accurate if the “days” in the above formula is changed to hours.
The calculation and accumulation of the mandays/manhours lost due to absenteeism and the total planned working mandays/manhours per working period or shift will improve the accuracy of the measurement.
In addition the calculation should be performed per department to provide further indications on where possible interventions are required.
The higher sick absenteeism rates in the lower income groups are due largely to their poor living conditions and also reflects the type of work, mainly manual, that these employees are involved with. The level of income is also an indication of the level of responsibility. We have found that employees with lower levels of responsibility have higher levels of absenteeism.
Sick Absenteeism in Large Companies versus Smaller Companies:
Small employers are more successful at limiting sick leave abuse than the larger companies.
Monday, November 19, 2007
End of Year Shut Down
Experience has shown that absenteeism decreases at the end of the year, while presenteeism (being at work even when ill) increases. Why not e-mail info@camsolutions.co.za and let us know what your experience at your place of work has been.
THE CAMS TEAM
THE CAMS TEAM
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Feed your employees well & prevent Diabetes!
National Diabetes Day – 14 November
Feed your employees well to prevent chronic illness such as diabetes
A total of 7.6 % of the employees in a study comprising a sample of more than 100 000 employees in 60 South African companies took time off because of chronic illnesses that are most often associated with diet. These included diabetes, heart disease, cancer and hypertension.
Johnny Johnson, Chief Executive of absenteeism specialists CAM Solutions says that these chronic illnesses cost the economy R1. 4 billion in the last year in the form of lost productivity.
This amount could be trebled when taking into account the indirect costs of an absent employee such as replacement labour, training and lost time.
“It makes financial sense for employers to guide their employees to follow a healthy diet, to either help prevent or control these chronic illnesses.
“If we find that a company has a high rate of absenteeism due to chronic illness we refer them to wellness management experts who guide employee on their diet at home, as well as revising food on offer in the company canteen. This helps control and prevent illness and therefore their ability to be productive,” he says.
Some companies, such as Continental Tyre in Port Elizabeth offer their entire staff nutrition supplement in the form of fortified cereal on a continuous monthly basis. This vitamin-packed maize meal is packaged in such as way that employees can take it home and share it with their immediate families.
“We have seen a definite increase in general health of our employees since starting this programme,” says Zuki Bhaku, employee relations manager at Continental Tyre.
Nutritional therapist Heidi Du Preez adds, “Cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and even allergies are often the result of a simple nutritional deficiency which can be corrected or controlled with healthy eating. Our diet has the distinction of being the only major determinant of health that's completely under our control.”
Du Preez says that a natural whole food diet should comprise fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, legumes and filtered water. Lean organic meat, free range eggs and limited dairy should also be included.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The virtual office set up and productivity levels
Employees working from home in a virtual office environment are generally more productive than their counterparts in the “traditional office” environment. This is according to Johnny Johnson, CEO of Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions (CAMS), and absenteeism management specialists that generate statistical data, which companies can use to monitor their absenteeism levels.
CAMS owns sick and health management software which is used by various service providers to optimize their consulting services for their clients. In addition, CAMS collates sick absenteeism information and provides benchmarks and overall sick absenteeism statistics. The actual sick absenteeism management consulting services can be provided by preferred providers contacted with CAMS.
Johnson says that among the major causes of absenteeism in South Africa are work and life issues, which include stress and burnout as well as personal needs and family crisis. When people work from home, they are less stressed, have more time to do their work and can take care of family issues because of their flexible working hours.
“According to our research, there were 524 incidents of sick leave related to psychological reasons, such as stress and depression in 2005, which means 4.5% of all sick leave days taken were due to stress. This particular form of sick absenteeism is no longer an issue in those who work from home as they can manage their time, and thus their stressors, more effectively, “ says Johnson.
“CAMS recently sold the wellness management and absenteeism consulting portion of its business and now my team and I work in virtual offices which are connected via a network. Whereas before, I had 10 people on the payroll, now there are a handful of us connected via the latest technology. I found that the payroll and overheads of the larger company became the tail that wagged the dog. I spent more time dealing with personnel issues than I did with growing the business.
“Now I prefer to work with other free agents on a contractor basis. Finding a good contractor is as difficult as finding a good employee but the relationship is more businesslike and less paternalistic. I work with IT personnel, designers and my PR on this basis,” he says.
“It’s the Information Age and the virtual office is the way of the future. In terms of traffic congestion, the expenses of running a large office, employee cost of travel, as well as sick absenteeism due to the stress of not being at home to solve crises, it makes perfect sense to do business this way.
“My team meets up regularly to discuss matters needing attention. We also visit clients on site when needed. We use wireless networks connected over the Internet via broadband with secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections between each other. These methods increase our productivity and help keep our costs down, thus making the business more efficient and increasing the value we can deliver to our clients,” Johnson notes.
Executive PA Michelle Bennett at CAMS says, “Working from home has actually been a huge adjustment for me – I really miss the corporate set-up. What I do like though is that I can work on my own time, there are times when I can’t sleep and am up at 05:00 and I start working. Or there is nothing good on TV in the evenings so I work. The flexibility is great, but I miss the interaction and believe it or not – I miss dressing up for work.
“I think that I am more productive when working from home, as there are no interruptions, meetings or traveling to worry about. I easily add about an hour or two of extra productivity time to my workday. And its pretty much stress free.” she adds.
CAMS owns sick and health management software which is used by various service providers to optimize their consulting services for their clients. In addition, CAMS collates sick absenteeism information and provides benchmarks and overall sick absenteeism statistics. The actual sick absenteeism management consulting services can be provided by preferred providers contacted with CAMS.
Johnson says that among the major causes of absenteeism in South Africa are work and life issues, which include stress and burnout as well as personal needs and family crisis. When people work from home, they are less stressed, have more time to do their work and can take care of family issues because of their flexible working hours.
“According to our research, there were 524 incidents of sick leave related to psychological reasons, such as stress and depression in 2005, which means 4.5% of all sick leave days taken were due to stress. This particular form of sick absenteeism is no longer an issue in those who work from home as they can manage their time, and thus their stressors, more effectively, “ says Johnson.
“CAMS recently sold the wellness management and absenteeism consulting portion of its business and now my team and I work in virtual offices which are connected via a network. Whereas before, I had 10 people on the payroll, now there are a handful of us connected via the latest technology. I found that the payroll and overheads of the larger company became the tail that wagged the dog. I spent more time dealing with personnel issues than I did with growing the business.
“Now I prefer to work with other free agents on a contractor basis. Finding a good contractor is as difficult as finding a good employee but the relationship is more businesslike and less paternalistic. I work with IT personnel, designers and my PR on this basis,” he says.
“It’s the Information Age and the virtual office is the way of the future. In terms of traffic congestion, the expenses of running a large office, employee cost of travel, as well as sick absenteeism due to the stress of not being at home to solve crises, it makes perfect sense to do business this way.
“My team meets up regularly to discuss matters needing attention. We also visit clients on site when needed. We use wireless networks connected over the Internet via broadband with secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections between each other. These methods increase our productivity and help keep our costs down, thus making the business more efficient and increasing the value we can deliver to our clients,” Johnson notes.
Executive PA Michelle Bennett at CAMS says, “Working from home has actually been a huge adjustment for me – I really miss the corporate set-up. What I do like though is that I can work on my own time, there are times when I can’t sleep and am up at 05:00 and I start working. Or there is nothing good on TV in the evenings so I work. The flexibility is great, but I miss the interaction and believe it or not – I miss dressing up for work.
“I think that I am more productive when working from home, as there are no interruptions, meetings or traveling to worry about. I easily add about an hour or two of extra productivity time to my workday. And its pretty much stress free.” she adds.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Blue collar workers take more sick leave
Statistics issued by Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions (CAMS) have shown that absenteeism in South Africa is greatest among production and factory workers who earn less than R 5000 per month.
The CAMS statistics, recorded in 60 South African companies with more than 7000 employees, state that employees earning R 5000 per month or less have an absenteeism rate of 2.30%. This rate drops to 1.33% in the group that earns between R 10 000 and R 15 000 per month. The absenteeism rate is calculated by dividing the number of days employees are absent by the number of days they should have been at work, over a period of one year.
Chief Executive of CAMS, Johnny Johnson says, “Generally, higher absence is positively correlated with lower income earners, those who have lesser responsibilities and more repetitive, less satisfying work. Blue-collar employees have consistently higher levels of absence than their white-collar compatriots, who have more job satisfaction.”
“Sick absenteeism should at about 1.5% - which means that for every 250 working days per year, the average employee should take 3.75 days off sick. Most companies have an overall absenteeism rate of between 3.5 and 6% - way over the acceptable limit. Simply applying a return to work policy can reduce sick absenteeism to acceptable levels, saving companies millions,” he says.
Johnson explains that a return to work policy means that when employees have been off sick they must see their supervisors immediately on return to work. The supervisor must show concern toward employees and question them about the nature of the illness and if they need any further help. This communicates care and to employees who are sick and might need further medical help. It also curbs abuse because staff have to face their managers on their return.
Johnson adds that sick absenteeism costs the country about R 19 billion per year, so looking after sick employees and managing sick leave abusers correctly is just good business practice.
The CAMS statistics, recorded in 60 South African companies with more than 7000 employees, state that employees earning R 5000 per month or less have an absenteeism rate of 2.30%. This rate drops to 1.33% in the group that earns between R 10 000 and R 15 000 per month. The absenteeism rate is calculated by dividing the number of days employees are absent by the number of days they should have been at work, over a period of one year.
Chief Executive of CAMS, Johnny Johnson says, “Generally, higher absence is positively correlated with lower income earners, those who have lesser responsibilities and more repetitive, less satisfying work. Blue-collar employees have consistently higher levels of absence than their white-collar compatriots, who have more job satisfaction.”
“Sick absenteeism should at about 1.5% - which means that for every 250 working days per year, the average employee should take 3.75 days off sick. Most companies have an overall absenteeism rate of between 3.5 and 6% - way over the acceptable limit. Simply applying a return to work policy can reduce sick absenteeism to acceptable levels, saving companies millions,” he says.
Johnson explains that a return to work policy means that when employees have been off sick they must see their supervisors immediately on return to work. The supervisor must show concern toward employees and question them about the nature of the illness and if they need any further help. This communicates care and to employees who are sick and might need further medical help. It also curbs abuse because staff have to face their managers on their return.
Johnson adds that sick absenteeism costs the country about R 19 billion per year, so looking after sick employees and managing sick leave abusers correctly is just good business practice.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Absenteeism in corporate South Africa explained by the comprehensive report
The CAMS Baseline Report on Absenteeism (entitled The Vanishing Workforce), based on research undertaken by Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions (CAMS) and analysed by labour specialist Andrew Levy - outline several key patterns with regards to corporate absenteeism in South Africa.
“Absenteeism is, in all probability, the single biggest cause of lost time and poor productivity that this country faces. Across the economy, it is probable that the minimum cost of absenteeism, measured as a direct cost only, will be about R19.144 billion. The statistics surrounding the incidence of absenteeism are sufficient for us to examine its incidence distributed by variables such as age, gender and job, which tends to be significant," says labour specialist Andrew Levy.
Chief Executive of CAMS, Johnny Johnson, says that by analysing their own absenteeism information and comparing this to national norms, individual employers are in a very powerful position to manage absenteeism, and by reducing it, to make commensurate improvements in costs and in productivity.
“This research shows that by far the greatest manifestation of absence is one day or less – in this case, some thirty five percent of all observations. It was shown that over 50% of all absence measured in our sample was short term – i.e. less than two days, while less than 20% was four days or more.
“From this data, it is immediately obvious that the bulk of sick leave abuse, as well as the greatest benefit of savings for the employer, will lie in dealing with the short term nature of the problem. The disruptive effects of short-term absence are far more acute than longer-term absence," Johnson says.
Johnson says that longer-term incapacity is a relatively less frequent occurrence, but at around one case in five, is still worthy of management attention, although it does bring a different approach into focus.
In this survey, 63% of companies said there was a pattern to absence. "Given that attendance at work is a calendar occurrence, there are only a limited number of patterns that would show up and these will do so relatively quickly – the most frequent being Mondays and/or Fridays, or before and after long weekends/public holidays. The data shows that 52.1% of all absence recorded relates to Monday, Friday or both," he says.
Levy says, “This then becomes a relatively easy manifestation of abuse to identify and deal with. It is highly unlikely that there are medical conditions, which arrive on the weekend with such reliability and regularity. A period, which requires special consideration, falls in December, which can be usefully taken to be from 16th Dec – 2nd January. For many production environments this may be a period of factory shut down, but in any event, is always a period of lesser economic activity, as much of the nation takes its summer break.”
Levy says that employer options for this period are numerous, and range from compulsory leave, of a paid or unpaid variety, or scheduling a lesser level of manning and activity and accepting that many of the staff who are actually there in body, will be absent in spirit.
Johnson adds, “It was also noted that higher absence is positively correlated with lower incomes, lesser responsibilities, as well as more repetitive and less satisfying work. International studies confirm this observation and it is clear that manual employees have consistently higher levels of absence than their white-collar compatriots
He says that with regards to devising a national norm for absenteeism it should be noted there would be wide variances between public and private sector, size of firm, age and gender profile of the labour force, and the nature of the work that they do.
“Even under these circumstances, it is still important to devise a single figure to represent so many possible variations because it gives us an estimate of which direction we are moving in from year to year, we can estimate the national cost of absenteeism and this allows us to make comparisons.
“Such a figure is of great value to employers, who can also see, at a glance how they stand in relation to the national average. However, in order to understand the position more fully, the employer also needs to benchmark its data with comparable information from similar firms, and by monitoring its own performance from period to period."
Johnson concludes by saying that on the positive side, the regular abuse of sick leave is usually limited to a small number of employees, who abuse it regularly, and in patterns which are readily discernible.
Levy adds, “The consequence of this, is that the employer who wishes to tackle the problem, may do so, secure in the knowledge that if he approaches it correctly, he will make significant inroads into the management of the problem."
“Absenteeism is, in all probability, the single biggest cause of lost time and poor productivity that this country faces. Across the economy, it is probable that the minimum cost of absenteeism, measured as a direct cost only, will be about R19.144 billion. The statistics surrounding the incidence of absenteeism are sufficient for us to examine its incidence distributed by variables such as age, gender and job, which tends to be significant," says labour specialist Andrew Levy.
Chief Executive of CAMS, Johnny Johnson, says that by analysing their own absenteeism information and comparing this to national norms, individual employers are in a very powerful position to manage absenteeism, and by reducing it, to make commensurate improvements in costs and in productivity.
“This research shows that by far the greatest manifestation of absence is one day or less – in this case, some thirty five percent of all observations. It was shown that over 50% of all absence measured in our sample was short term – i.e. less than two days, while less than 20% was four days or more.
“From this data, it is immediately obvious that the bulk of sick leave abuse, as well as the greatest benefit of savings for the employer, will lie in dealing with the short term nature of the problem. The disruptive effects of short-term absence are far more acute than longer-term absence," Johnson says.
Johnson says that longer-term incapacity is a relatively less frequent occurrence, but at around one case in five, is still worthy of management attention, although it does bring a different approach into focus.
In this survey, 63% of companies said there was a pattern to absence. "Given that attendance at work is a calendar occurrence, there are only a limited number of patterns that would show up and these will do so relatively quickly – the most frequent being Mondays and/or Fridays, or before and after long weekends/public holidays. The data shows that 52.1% of all absence recorded relates to Monday, Friday or both," he says.
Levy says, “This then becomes a relatively easy manifestation of abuse to identify and deal with. It is highly unlikely that there are medical conditions, which arrive on the weekend with such reliability and regularity. A period, which requires special consideration, falls in December, which can be usefully taken to be from 16th Dec – 2nd January. For many production environments this may be a period of factory shut down, but in any event, is always a period of lesser economic activity, as much of the nation takes its summer break.”
Levy says that employer options for this period are numerous, and range from compulsory leave, of a paid or unpaid variety, or scheduling a lesser level of manning and activity and accepting that many of the staff who are actually there in body, will be absent in spirit.
Johnson adds, “It was also noted that higher absence is positively correlated with lower incomes, lesser responsibilities, as well as more repetitive and less satisfying work. International studies confirm this observation and it is clear that manual employees have consistently higher levels of absence than their white-collar compatriots
He says that with regards to devising a national norm for absenteeism it should be noted there would be wide variances between public and private sector, size of firm, age and gender profile of the labour force, and the nature of the work that they do.
“Even under these circumstances, it is still important to devise a single figure to represent so many possible variations because it gives us an estimate of which direction we are moving in from year to year, we can estimate the national cost of absenteeism and this allows us to make comparisons.
“Such a figure is of great value to employers, who can also see, at a glance how they stand in relation to the national average. However, in order to understand the position more fully, the employer also needs to benchmark its data with comparable information from similar firms, and by monitoring its own performance from period to period."
Johnson concludes by saying that on the positive side, the regular abuse of sick leave is usually limited to a small number of employees, who abuse it regularly, and in patterns which are readily discernible.
Levy adds, “The consequence of this, is that the employer who wishes to tackle the problem, may do so, secure in the knowledge that if he approaches it correctly, he will make significant inroads into the management of the problem."
Thursday, November 1, 2007
R19 billion...
...is the amount the economy pays to cover absenteeism per year. The indirect costs can be twice, even three times as high. If you have a query pertaining to your company's absenteeism, log onto www.camsolutions.co.za or www.absolv.co.za for more information. Bring down absenteeism and save.
Regards,
CAM SOLUTIONS
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Healthy living is a free choice, the rewards are priceless
It's that time of the year again - office parties, end-of-year functions and the ultimate Christmas dinner recipes are on everyone's mind. In a time when eating has become more about entertainment and less about nutrition, do we still know how to feed our bodies the right nutrients without worrying about the costs of health food?
Nutritional therapist Heidi du Preez says although there is no perfect diet applicable to everyone, there is a simple, pleasant and cost-effective way to eat better. Du Preez, who has just co-authored a cookbook called Naturally Nutritious, says that a natural wholefood diet should comprise fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, legumes and filtered water. Lean organic meat, eggs and limited dairy should also be included. "Although animal products should form part of the diet, plants must comprise the foundation of your meals. Vegetables should therefore be our main source of carbohydrates. However, pasta, bread, cereal and sweets are most likely the primary sources. They are all processed and lacking the natural nutrition of wholefoods," she says.
People tend to say it's expensive to eat healthily, but it's not true. Fruit and vegetables should be bought at more regular intervals and that might give buyers the impression they are spending more. If you're looking for healthy food on a small budget, then fruits and vegetables and other whole foods are the way to go. They're actually much cheaper than processed foods. If you want to pinpoint the cost of major items on your bill, look at cheese, dairy, lunch meats/expensive cuts of meat, sweets, cereals, snacks and alcohol. The Friday night fast food dinner tradition can also be done away with, saving a family of four an average of R 200 - R 300 rand a time if they all have burgers, chips, a soft drink and desert.
In addition, eating a natural diet might mean less trips to the doctor (between R200 and R300 for those without medical aid and that's excluding medicine). "Cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and even allergies are often the result of a simple nutritional deficiency which can be corrected or controlled with healthy eating. Our diet has the distinction of being the only major determinant of health that's completely under our control," says Du Preez.
"If we are already ill we need to address the real causes of the unhealthy lifestyles that keep us slaves to the destructive emotional crutches of smoking, alcohol, unhealthy eating and other substance abuse. We need to relearn how to cope positively with stress and deal more assertively with our mental and emotional needs." Quitting these bad habits will also save money - at R30 for a cheap bottle of wine and more than R20 for a pack of cigarettes, it boils down to a lot of very expensive damage.
Du Preez says most of us are not sick enough to lie down (the horizontally ill), but suffer from one of the so called civilization diseases - we are vertically ill. "All of us might not suffer from cancer, heart disease, diabetes or arthritis but we all have at least one of the following debilitating conditions: chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities, migraines or headaches, constipation, acne, memory loss, poor concentration, hyperactivity, loss of sex drive, PMS, menopause, etc. "The vertically ill often become trapped in a cycle of dependency on their doctors to monitor and constantly adjust their medications. They derive only limited benefit from the array of antidepressants, tranquillizers, anti-inflammatory drugs and/or antibiotics all of which carry high costs. I was trapped in this cycle until I discovered the benefits of simple healthy eating," says Du Preez.
"Spirit and mind contribute more to your health than you realise, if we abuse our bodies with unhealthy and expensive eating and bad habits, we aren't happy and it shows in our health," she says. In terms of supplements Heidi says wholefood supplements, not isolated vitamins, hold the key to health. Thousands of phyto-chemicals, fibre, vitamins, minerals and enzymes found in wholefood have the greatest impact if they work together in synergy.
Heidi who consults out of her sea front office in Jeffreys Bay, charges R220 per consultation (for 1 1/2 hours) and her recipe books costs R160 and is available online at www.naturalnutrition.co.za.
Freelance writer and mother Beth Cooper has long believed in the principles of healthy eating, "What's worked for me and which can have a huge, albeit slower, impact on family health is to do a "swap" on each food item, gradually building up a majority of healthy choices in the cupboards, as opposed to making a sweeping change all at once, which is more expensive," she says.
Diabetic nurse specialist Sister Sheradin Williamson says that we should all revert back to the way we used to eat thirty or forty years ago. "The kids didn't eat junk food on such a regular basis thirty or forty years ago, for most of us it was a rare treat. We also walked to school or the beach which is now considered dangerous. Changes in society have meant many of us have more money to buy junk food and fizzy drinks and this, combined with less exercise, is having a negative impact on our health."
Sherryl Victor of the Shuga Free Shop in Port Elizabeth says that the most important factor in controlling diabetes is diet. Her shop includes a range of diabetic friendly products, but she says all health conscious people would benefit from eating this way. Her and her husband Lenn will open the Shuga Free Restaurant in mid-November and the health conscious community is delighted. A cycling group has already booked the restaurant for a function, because they now will be served healthily prepared meals, rich in all the right nutrients. People with diabetes (all meals are diabetic friendly) and other chronic illnesses will be able to eat a nutritious meal here for about R125 per head for a three-course meal.
Johnny Johnson, Chief Executive of absenteeism specialists CAM Solutions says that 7.6% of the employees in their study, which comprised a sample of more than 100 000 employees in 60 South African companies, took time off because of chronic illnesses that are most often associated with diet. These included heart disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension. These chronic illnesses cost the economy R1.4 billion in the last year. "It makes financial sense for employers to aid their employees in following a healthy diet, to either help prevent or control these chronic illnesses," he said.
(For information on the software developed by CAM Solutions or on our Absenteeism Management program, log onto www.camsolutions.co.za or www.absolv.co.za for more information).
Nutritional therapist Heidi du Preez says although there is no perfect diet applicable to everyone, there is a simple, pleasant and cost-effective way to eat better. Du Preez, who has just co-authored a cookbook called Naturally Nutritious, says that a natural wholefood diet should comprise fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, legumes and filtered water. Lean organic meat, eggs and limited dairy should also be included. "Although animal products should form part of the diet, plants must comprise the foundation of your meals. Vegetables should therefore be our main source of carbohydrates. However, pasta, bread, cereal and sweets are most likely the primary sources. They are all processed and lacking the natural nutrition of wholefoods," she says.
People tend to say it's expensive to eat healthily, but it's not true. Fruit and vegetables should be bought at more regular intervals and that might give buyers the impression they are spending more. If you're looking for healthy food on a small budget, then fruits and vegetables and other whole foods are the way to go. They're actually much cheaper than processed foods. If you want to pinpoint the cost of major items on your bill, look at cheese, dairy, lunch meats/expensive cuts of meat, sweets, cereals, snacks and alcohol. The Friday night fast food dinner tradition can also be done away with, saving a family of four an average of R 200 - R 300 rand a time if they all have burgers, chips, a soft drink and desert.
In addition, eating a natural diet might mean less trips to the doctor (between R200 and R300 for those without medical aid and that's excluding medicine). "Cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and even allergies are often the result of a simple nutritional deficiency which can be corrected or controlled with healthy eating. Our diet has the distinction of being the only major determinant of health that's completely under our control," says Du Preez.
"If we are already ill we need to address the real causes of the unhealthy lifestyles that keep us slaves to the destructive emotional crutches of smoking, alcohol, unhealthy eating and other substance abuse. We need to relearn how to cope positively with stress and deal more assertively with our mental and emotional needs." Quitting these bad habits will also save money - at R30 for a cheap bottle of wine and more than R20 for a pack of cigarettes, it boils down to a lot of very expensive damage.
Du Preez says most of us are not sick enough to lie down (the horizontally ill), but suffer from one of the so called civilization diseases - we are vertically ill. "All of us might not suffer from cancer, heart disease, diabetes or arthritis but we all have at least one of the following debilitating conditions: chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies and multiple chemical sensitivities, migraines or headaches, constipation, acne, memory loss, poor concentration, hyperactivity, loss of sex drive, PMS, menopause, etc. "The vertically ill often become trapped in a cycle of dependency on their doctors to monitor and constantly adjust their medications. They derive only limited benefit from the array of antidepressants, tranquillizers, anti-inflammatory drugs and/or antibiotics all of which carry high costs. I was trapped in this cycle until I discovered the benefits of simple healthy eating," says Du Preez.
"Spirit and mind contribute more to your health than you realise, if we abuse our bodies with unhealthy and expensive eating and bad habits, we aren't happy and it shows in our health," she says. In terms of supplements Heidi says wholefood supplements, not isolated vitamins, hold the key to health. Thousands of phyto-chemicals, fibre, vitamins, minerals and enzymes found in wholefood have the greatest impact if they work together in synergy.
Heidi who consults out of her sea front office in Jeffreys Bay, charges R220 per consultation (for 1 1/2 hours) and her recipe books costs R160 and is available online at www.naturalnutrition.co.za.
Freelance writer and mother Beth Cooper has long believed in the principles of healthy eating, "What's worked for me and which can have a huge, albeit slower, impact on family health is to do a "swap" on each food item, gradually building up a majority of healthy choices in the cupboards, as opposed to making a sweeping change all at once, which is more expensive," she says.
Diabetic nurse specialist Sister Sheradin Williamson says that we should all revert back to the way we used to eat thirty or forty years ago. "The kids didn't eat junk food on such a regular basis thirty or forty years ago, for most of us it was a rare treat. We also walked to school or the beach which is now considered dangerous. Changes in society have meant many of us have more money to buy junk food and fizzy drinks and this, combined with less exercise, is having a negative impact on our health."
Sherryl Victor of the Shuga Free Shop in Port Elizabeth says that the most important factor in controlling diabetes is diet. Her shop includes a range of diabetic friendly products, but she says all health conscious people would benefit from eating this way. Her and her husband Lenn will open the Shuga Free Restaurant in mid-November and the health conscious community is delighted. A cycling group has already booked the restaurant for a function, because they now will be served healthily prepared meals, rich in all the right nutrients. People with diabetes (all meals are diabetic friendly) and other chronic illnesses will be able to eat a nutritious meal here for about R125 per head for a three-course meal.
Johnny Johnson, Chief Executive of absenteeism specialists CAM Solutions says that 7.6% of the employees in their study, which comprised a sample of more than 100 000 employees in 60 South African companies, took time off because of chronic illnesses that are most often associated with diet. These included heart disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension. These chronic illnesses cost the economy R1.4 billion in the last year. "It makes financial sense for employers to aid their employees in following a healthy diet, to either help prevent or control these chronic illnesses," he said.
(For information on the software developed by CAM Solutions or on our Absenteeism Management program, log onto www.camsolutions.co.za or www.absolv.co.za for more information).
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Managing Absenteeism
For all small to medium businesses, you can now manage your own absenteeism over the internet. Draw reports pertinent to your business and compare with global benchmarks or industry benchmarks. For more information, log onto www.camsolutions.co.za or www.absolv.co.za. E-mail info@camsolutions.co.za for more information.
Larger companies can purchase the software to enhance their existing payroll features and manage absenteeism.
Remember, what you don't know, you can't manage.
The CAM SOLUTIONS team!
Larger companies can purchase the software to enhance their existing payroll features and manage absenteeism.
Remember, what you don't know, you can't manage.
The CAM SOLUTIONS team!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Women still sick more than men in SA workplace!
The focus on women in August has been further highlighted by the absenteeism rates of females in the business, the details of which were issued by CAM Solutions this week. The statistics generated by the absenteeism specialists have shown that women are taking more sick leave than their male counterparts in corporate South Africa. The sample in this study comprised over 60 South African companies, with more than 100 000 employees. The average absenteeism rate of females in this sample (calculated by dividing the number of days the employee took off by the number of days she should have been at work) was 2.65 in 2006, and for males it was 2.28. The absenteeism rate for women in 2005 was 2.61 and for males it was 2.08.
CEO of CAMS Solutions Johnny Johnson said that female absenteeism costs the economy about R 8 billion per year in direct costs. The associated indirect costs due to lost productivity in the workplace are calculated conservatively as two times the value of the direct costs.
Statistics show that the highest reason for female sick leave is influenza, which accounted for 11.55% of all sick leave taken in the female segment of the sample in the March 2006 – March 2007 cycle. The second highest reason for sick leave amongst women is acute bronchitis, which accounts for 4.82% of sick leave in this same time period. Back pain was the reason 4.72% of females took sick leave in the 2006 cycle and 4.43% of women in the workplace were absent due to gastroenteritis during this time.
Other reasons for female absenteeism include acute stress reaction (2.24%), anxiety disorder (1.8%) and pelvic inflammatory disease (2.04%). Just over one per cent of the sample took time off due to migraines, which account for just 0.5% of the male absenteeism during this time. Only 0.24% of women took time off due to being pregnant in this cycle and a minimal 0.07% of females took time off because they were nauseas or vomiting during their pregnancies.
The biggest difference in sick leave diagnosis between men and women is depressive disorder. While a mere 0.70% of men take sick leave because of depressive disorders, it accounts for 1.2% of sick leave taken by women.
Johnson said, “Whatever there reason, companies should take depressed staff seriously. Those women suffering from depression take an average 8.64 days off per depressive incidence. Counselling psychologist Robin Farrington explained, “Stress is part of life and is essentially reflected by the rate of wear and tear experienced by our bodies. Although we cannot avoid stress, we need to learn how to minimize its detrimental effects.
“In general, women are experiencing increased stress. This is related to the changing roles in society. More and more women are employed in a full-time capacity but yet simultaneously they are still fulfilling traditional mother and wife roles. The dual role that has become expected means that women are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil their responsibility which in turn leads to increased stress. Despite the added role, women are still shouldering the major responsibility for child rearing and house-making.
Farrington said that just as each individual is responsible for their own physical well-being, they are also responsible for their own psychological wellness.
“It is incumbent for each individual to manage their stress load. Although it might be difficult for women to take time off work, they need to take time out to nurture themselves. This should include time for regular exercise. In addition, woman can reduce stress by identifying the sources of stress, living a more balanced life, managing time, accepting support from others, knowing when to say “no” and developing coping skills for stress relief.
“Attentive men and/or husbands can do much to reduce the stress experienced by women though becoming more involved in the domestic duties and sharing responsibilities in the home,” Farrington said.
Johnson added, “Because women are often more responsible for children than their male counterparts, they are the ones who take time off, disguised as sick leave, when their children are ill. This responsibility towards children needs to be addressed in the work place and if necessary, flexible working arrangements for women with sick children should be introduced in order to alleviate the need for women to abuse the system.”
CEO of CAMS Solutions Johnny Johnson said that female absenteeism costs the economy about R 8 billion per year in direct costs. The associated indirect costs due to lost productivity in the workplace are calculated conservatively as two times the value of the direct costs.
Statistics show that the highest reason for female sick leave is influenza, which accounted for 11.55% of all sick leave taken in the female segment of the sample in the March 2006 – March 2007 cycle. The second highest reason for sick leave amongst women is acute bronchitis, which accounts for 4.82% of sick leave in this same time period. Back pain was the reason 4.72% of females took sick leave in the 2006 cycle and 4.43% of women in the workplace were absent due to gastroenteritis during this time.
Other reasons for female absenteeism include acute stress reaction (2.24%), anxiety disorder (1.8%) and pelvic inflammatory disease (2.04%). Just over one per cent of the sample took time off due to migraines, which account for just 0.5% of the male absenteeism during this time. Only 0.24% of women took time off due to being pregnant in this cycle and a minimal 0.07% of females took time off because they were nauseas or vomiting during their pregnancies.
The biggest difference in sick leave diagnosis between men and women is depressive disorder. While a mere 0.70% of men take sick leave because of depressive disorders, it accounts for 1.2% of sick leave taken by women.
Johnson said, “Whatever there reason, companies should take depressed staff seriously. Those women suffering from depression take an average 8.64 days off per depressive incidence. Counselling psychologist Robin Farrington explained, “Stress is part of life and is essentially reflected by the rate of wear and tear experienced by our bodies. Although we cannot avoid stress, we need to learn how to minimize its detrimental effects.
“In general, women are experiencing increased stress. This is related to the changing roles in society. More and more women are employed in a full-time capacity but yet simultaneously they are still fulfilling traditional mother and wife roles. The dual role that has become expected means that women are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil their responsibility which in turn leads to increased stress. Despite the added role, women are still shouldering the major responsibility for child rearing and house-making.
Farrington said that just as each individual is responsible for their own physical well-being, they are also responsible for their own psychological wellness.
“It is incumbent for each individual to manage their stress load. Although it might be difficult for women to take time off work, they need to take time out to nurture themselves. This should include time for regular exercise. In addition, woman can reduce stress by identifying the sources of stress, living a more balanced life, managing time, accepting support from others, knowing when to say “no” and developing coping skills for stress relief.
“Attentive men and/or husbands can do much to reduce the stress experienced by women though becoming more involved in the domestic duties and sharing responsibilities in the home,” Farrington said.
Johnson added, “Because women are often more responsible for children than their male counterparts, they are the ones who take time off, disguised as sick leave, when their children are ill. This responsibility towards children needs to be addressed in the work place and if necessary, flexible working arrangements for women with sick children should be introduced in order to alleviate the need for women to abuse the system.”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Absenteeism – truth can be stranger than fiction
In 2006, the sixty companies comprising more than 100 000 employees in the CAM Solutions absenteeism study have had to deal with a myriad of reasons for absenteeism. This is according to CAMS CEO Johnny Johnson, who says that while the highest number of employees take absenteeism for the same reason—influenza, bronchitis, back pain and gastroenteritis—it is the reasons seldom given by doctors to explain sick absenteeism that provide the most interest.
“An employee in our of our sample companies was recently excused for one day because of a temporary loss of smell and taste. One has to ask how this would have impacted on his or her productivity. Another was excused because of a fingernail infection. In this case, a typist might have a legitimate reason to be absent, but it does seem a rather feeble excuse. Another employee had a foreign body lodged in his nose, a reason more often given for not attending pre-school than adult work. Another took two days off due to sneezing, and one has to feel that the sneezing must have been pretty bad for a doctor to book him off for so long. Another employee had pain in his face; another took two days off because of acne. Another employee received two days sick leave because of the effects he had suffered after receiving a human bite. One employee was given two days off because he was scared of cancer, fortunately though, he didn’t actually have cancer,” he notes.
Johnson says that nothing depicts the human condition better than reading the reasons for absenteeism on sick notes.
“We all have times when we are off ill and we all need understanding and compassion, even if those reasons are obscure. Doctors also face the challenge of caring for their patient while as the same time, honestly giving the reasons that this person has not attended work. The human resource or line manager must also show compassion for the myriad of often-strange excuses that their employees provide when they return to work.”
Johnson explains that by monitoring employee absenteeism and the reasons for it, managers can quickly see who the absenteeism abusers are.
“Mostly we find that employees, who are absent regularly, often on the same day of the week, and for short periods of two days or less, are abusing the system. Knowing who these employees are goes a long way towards fixing the problem. They can be counseled, placed on wellness management programmes and disciplined if necessary. By identifying trends in absenteeism and instituting return to work counseling sessions and wellness management programmes companies can drastically reduce the instances of sick leave abuse, and hopefully see less bizarre reasons for employee absenteeism,” he adds.
“An employee in our of our sample companies was recently excused for one day because of a temporary loss of smell and taste. One has to ask how this would have impacted on his or her productivity. Another was excused because of a fingernail infection. In this case, a typist might have a legitimate reason to be absent, but it does seem a rather feeble excuse. Another employee had a foreign body lodged in his nose, a reason more often given for not attending pre-school than adult work. Another took two days off due to sneezing, and one has to feel that the sneezing must have been pretty bad for a doctor to book him off for so long. Another employee had pain in his face; another took two days off because of acne. Another employee received two days sick leave because of the effects he had suffered after receiving a human bite. One employee was given two days off because he was scared of cancer, fortunately though, he didn’t actually have cancer,” he notes.
Johnson says that nothing depicts the human condition better than reading the reasons for absenteeism on sick notes.
“We all have times when we are off ill and we all need understanding and compassion, even if those reasons are obscure. Doctors also face the challenge of caring for their patient while as the same time, honestly giving the reasons that this person has not attended work. The human resource or line manager must also show compassion for the myriad of often-strange excuses that their employees provide when they return to work.”
Johnson explains that by monitoring employee absenteeism and the reasons for it, managers can quickly see who the absenteeism abusers are.
“Mostly we find that employees, who are absent regularly, often on the same day of the week, and for short periods of two days or less, are abusing the system. Knowing who these employees are goes a long way towards fixing the problem. They can be counseled, placed on wellness management programmes and disciplined if necessary. By identifying trends in absenteeism and instituting return to work counseling sessions and wellness management programmes companies can drastically reduce the instances of sick leave abuse, and hopefully see less bizarre reasons for employee absenteeism,” he adds.
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