How to manage employee absences in the wake of COVID-19

Since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, employee absences from the workplace have dramatically increased. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic created a whole host of new reasons why employees would be absent, from travel quarantine to enforced isolation, there were plenty of excuses not to go into work.

However, now that we are emerging from the hardest months of the pandemic and we are learning to live with the virus in our midst, employee absenteeism is still at an all-time high. For employers, this is posing a significant challenge as it is now harder than ever to determine the true reason why an employee is not at work.

Related: Work is changing, and so are absence management practices

Here are some ways to better manage employee absences in the wake of COVID-19.

1. Enforce a strict absence policy

Sometimes, all it takes to encourage your employees to turn up to work is to enforce a strict absence policy. You’d be surprised how many employers do not have an absence policy in place for their organization. Without an absence policy, it is easy for employees to take advantage of the system and regularly fail to show up to work without any real consequences.

As soon as your employees are aware of a strict absence policy, you will see your staff absences reduce. This is particularly true if you instruct all staff to read and sign the absence policy to show their understanding. By enforcing a strict absence policy you will:

• Reduce workplace absences
• Track employee absences
• Take disciplinary action when necessary
• Be able to identify any underlying problems within your workplace

2. Require regular staff testing

As we emerge from the height of the pandemic, there is no official law that instructs employers to test their employees for coronavirus. However, many employers are keen to continue with regular testing in the workplace as part of their absence management policy. This decision is one that can be made at the discretion of the individual employer.

Regular staff testing is a helpful way to manage employee absences from the workplace in the wake of COVID-19. Requiring all staff to take two lateral flow tests each week can help identify those who may be carrying the virus. This is important as it helps you take preventative action and avoid the rest of your team getting sick. Staff testing can be carried out on staff whether or not they are vaccinated and is important for managing sickness in the workplace and protecting your most vulnerable workers.

If you decide to continue or to reintroduce regular staff testing in the workplace, it is important to discuss with your staff how the tests should be taken, how the results should be reported, the absence policy for those who test positive, and how personal data will be used, stored, and protected.

3. Implement leadership training

If you want to reduce absenteeism in the workplace, you should implement leadership training to help strengthen your organization and proactively make improvements. A workplace is only as healthy as its workers and, often, high absences within the workplace are a result of a negative culture, poor management, staff overload, or some other grievance with the company itself.

Implementing leadership training is an excellent way to help combat this. The leaders within your organization should be regularly trained on a range of topics, including:

• Effective communication
• Duty of care towards employees
• Mental health management and support
• Absence legislation

Leadership training isn’t simply a tick-box exercise and you’re done. It’s something that should be repeated on a regular basis throughout the year so that everyone in your organization is equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to do their job well. And if your leaders are working effectively, they will manage your employees more effectively, and everyone will be happier. This should result in fewer absences and a healthier, happier workforce.

4. Encourage open communication

It is not uncommon for employees to stay away from work for longer periods of time when they are not contacted. So, it is important to monitor staff absences and get in touch with them after a couple of days to ask how they are doing. Research shows that open communication that is maintained throughout the absence can improve the likelihood of the employee returning to work.

Encouraging open communication in this way is key in helping employees in their return to work. Sometimes, absent employees feel they have been absent for so long that they feel anxious about returning to work. Regular and open communication between your organization and the absent individual can go a long way towards showing that you care, providing valuable support, and helping the employee back to work.

5. Provide options for flexible working

Since the pandemic, the typical working structure of 9-5 days is changing. With so many employees still working remotely and enjoying the flexibility this offers, more than 55% of employers expect to receive flexible working requests from their employees. So, why not get ahead of the demand?

Providing flexible working options is a great way to support your employees, reduce absences, and increase staff retention and productivity. Flexible working allows employees to balance their personal lives and responsibilities with their professional ones. It could be that the high rates of absenteeism in your workplace are a result of inflexible work schedules. So, to help combat this, you could consider providing flexible working to serve your employees better.

Managing absenteeism in the workplace has always been tricky and since the onslaught of COVID-19, it has only become harder. However, we hope the tips in this article have provided some helpful management tips that will allow you to reduce absences and support your employees better.

Gemma Hart is an independent HR professional working remotely from as many coffee shops as she can find. Since graduating in 2013, Gemma has gained experience in a number of HR roles but now looks to grow her personal brand and connect with leading professionals in the field.