What happens in your business when an employer phones in sick?

 

Typically, you might have to ask another employee to cover for them. Or you might have to delay a project you are working on. 

 

Two things take a hit when an employee is away from work – productivity and your business finances! Admittedly, you can’t always prevent sick days – people do fall ill, unfortunately – but you can take steps to reduce the number of them.

 

Here are some ideas we hope you find useful.

 

#1: Be careful who you hire

 

When you’re looking through application forms and checking references, check for evidence of the applicant’s absence rate. If you discover they have had a lot of time away from their previous job roles because of sickness, be on the alert. If the sick days can be validated with evidence of genuine illnesses, then fine. But if you suspect the applicant may have had lied to their previous employers about their so-called health problems, consider hiring somebody else for your vacant roles.

 

#2: Reduce the chances of employee burnout

 

As an employer, it is your job to look after your employees. If you overwork them, they might start to become ill because of stress and tiredness, and they might then need to take time off work because of burnout. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you could:

 

• Outsource those tasks that your employees shouldn’t be doing
• Create flexible working hours to ensure a better work-life balance
• Eliminate overtime
• Listen to employee concerns and act on them
• Provide your employees with the tools needed to streamline their workloads

 

#3: Improve your workplace

 

Is your workplace a happy place to be? If not, the morale of your employees might drop, and this could cause them to become unwell with stress and depression. To reduce the chances of this happening, you could:

 

• Revamp the breakroom with more opportunities for fun and relaxation
• Give your workplace decor a makeover
• Let your employees personalize their workspaces
• Find ways to incorporate fun into your workplace

 

You should also think about health and safety. If the health of your employees is at risk because of poor workplace hygiene, toxic smells from any chemicals used, or accident risks, then an increase in sick days can be expected. To alleviate any problems, you should:

 

• Carry out a risk assessment and remove any potential hazards when possible
• Provide the necessary safety equipment, including face masks and gloves for employees to wear
• Hire a cleaner or create a cleaning rota that everybody should follow
• Ventilate the workspace
• Use specialist equipment to ensure a safer workspace, such as these used industrial dust collectors
• Provide ergonomic office equipment
• Comply with all health and safety regulations

 

Finally

 

When you reduce the number of sick days in your business, you won’t see a dip in productivity, and you won’t have to lose money because of a missing employee. So, consider our suggestions, and do what is needed to protect both your business and the employees in your care. Prevention is the best medicine, after all!