Although most employers track absenteeism, they're failing to take the extra effort to manage and mitigate absenteeism, according to a new survey by ADP Research Institute.

"Our survey shows that most employers in the U.S. do not conduct systemic benchmarks and do not fully quantify the impact of absence on their business," says Tim Clifford, president of benefits services and talent management at ADP. "Although companies are aware of the resulting losses in productivity, many are unwilling or unable to take explicit steps to control absenteeism. As employers move toward automation of human capital management, we see a clear need for the effective integration of total absence management programs with existing payroll and HR platforms."

The survey reveals that respondents from large companies are facing a higher average annual rate of absenteeism at 3.5 percent as opposed to respondents from mid-size companies at 3.2 percent. While 50 percent of respondents from mid-size companies and 54 percent of respondents from large companies agree absenteeism has reduced productivity, 30 percent of respondents from mid-size and 36 percent of respondents from large companies also say absenteeism has hurt profitability. In fact, 28 percent of respondents say they are facing higher increased operational costs.