Absenteeism in the Workplace

Duration: 1 Day
Time: 8:30am-4:00pm

According to Occupational Care South Africa (OCSA), absenteeism costs the South African economy around R12 - R16 billion per year. (July 2017). This equates to around 15% of employees being absent on any given day. When one looks at it this way, one can understand why absenteeism is possibly the single most expensive problem affecting business both locally and internationally. Some researchers estimate that South African businesses are losing as much as 17% of their payroll every year due to absenteeism.

As a team leader, supervisor or manager your staff will take time off work for various reasons such as illness, childbirth, family illness or bereavement. In some cases, staff take time off for no valid reason believing that they are entitled to “sick leave” even when they are well. When absenteeism becomes problematic or excessive, it is your responsibility to address the problem.
 Excessive absenteeism is an avoidable or controllable expense. It negatively impacts productivity and team morale and accordingly the performance of the business.
 In this course, we explore the reasons for employee absenteeism, analyse the consequences thereof and determine how one can reduce it by identifying and addressing the root causes firmly and fairly.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Anyone with subordinates
• Managers, supervisors, team leaders

WHAT WILL BE COVERED

• Defining and understanding the scope of “absenteeism”
• The various causes of absenteeism
• Consequences of absenteeism for absentee staff members and colleagues
• Legal implications of absenteeism
• Ways to reduce absenteeism in the workplace
• Why employee engagement is so important
• Objective setting
• Motivation
• Stress management
• Assigning responsibility and accountability
• Understanding principles of leadership
• Applying established leadership skills to resolving the problem
• Establishing trust
• Setting expectations
• Communication
• Feedback

HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT

• Delegates will:
• appreciate the reasons for absenteeism and the consequences thereof
• understand their responsibility to monitor and manage absenteeism
• be empowered to deal effectively with absentee staff members
• The employer will benefit from a reduction in absenteeism and improved staff motivation