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No-Show Workers Cost More Than Ever
Even
though jobs are tough to find, no-show workers are costing business more than
ever, nearly 30 percent more than in 2000.
Losses, attributed to direct wage costs and reduced productivity, have
reached $789 per employee per year, according to a report from Commerce
Clearing House (CCH).
Topping off this gloomy picture, nearly two-thirds of the days claimed as
sick days are actually used for other personal or family needs.
Getting a Handle
To get a handle on the problem, companies need to see the issue from the
worker’s point of view. Traditional time-off policies may provide only one
way to get time for an important family obligation — to call in sick. Also, a
sense of entitlement may encourage workers to use sick time for other
purposes.
If an employee needs to take an aged parent or a child to see a doctor, even
for an appointment scheduled weeks in advance, the only option may be to call
in sick the day of the appointment.
The study, 2002 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, reports that the most effective
method to control absences is a paid-time-off (PTO) bank.
PTOs allot a total number of authorized days off each year, to be used as
needed for sickness, vacation, and personal reasons. With the chance to boost
vacation time, employees have strong motivation to keep sick days to a
minimum.
Except in cases of actual illness, employees can notify supervisors in
advance of their plans to tap the account. That way, you’ll be able to plan
ahead for employee absences.
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