: A Managers Guide to Managing Unplanned Employee Absences
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(493 Words)
Unplanned employee absences can be difficult to deal with, especially if the person is vital. However you obviously cannot always help when an employee gets very ill, has an accident or has another reason why he or she suddenly can’t come in to work. Consider the following tips for handling such absences.
Plan in advance
To the extent possible, you should never have one person be so vital that the entire company will shut down without him or her. You want to plan for the eventuality that something will happen. For instance, let’s say there is a big presentation on one day in front of some big potential clients. You have one person who will be doing it, but you might want to make a plan in case that person has to take an unplanned day off. You can have a backup person who will be ready to step in. You should also make sure that all information vital to the company is in someone else’s hands or that it is somewhere where it can be found and understood.
When someone takes an unplanned absence, mobilize right away. Try to have a system already in place. Try to adapt to the situation. For instance, perhaps there is a meeting that you can postpone. Think of all of the different options and do what is the best for the company. Try not to let frustration and/or anger keep you from efficiently working to solve the issue.
Deal with the situation if you think that people are taking advantage
If you think that your employees are calling in sick when they are not then you have an entirely different situation on your hands. You might want to start by writing an e-mail to your employees or having a company meeting. You can discuss the issue and talk about how it hurts the company and the employees who have to take up the slack. You can also talk about the rules and consequences that can occur if this happens. Also, one great way is to do a rewards system. For instance, for every sick unplanned holiday that an employee doesn’t take you can give them something special such as a planned holiday day plus some sort of little gift or extra pay. This might help them take days off when it is more convenient for everyone.
If there is a particular person whom you suspect is abusing the system, then you can take them aside and talk to them. You can talk to them about the issues and any reasons you have for thinking that way (i.e. they take a sick day and then you see a Facebook post that they are out at the beach). You can work with them to try to remedy the problem.
Unplanned sick days can be difficult to manage but with careful planning and attention you can make the best of the situation. Utilize the above tips in your business.
Updated On: 09/09/2010 Published On: 09/09/2010 Article ViewerClose
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