How to Manage Frequent Short Term Absences at Work – Tip 2: Record Keeping
This is the third post in a six part series on How to Manage Frequent, Short Term Employee Absence at Work.
In the first post we covered my Top 5 Tips for Managing Frequent Short Term absences.
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Absence Management Policy
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Record Keeping:
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Notification and Evidence of Incapacity
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Returning to Work
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Reviews
The second post covered your Absence Management Policy and this post will cover the details of Record Keeping and why you want to do this.
All employers are expected to keep accurate employee absence records; it can be a real pain and it’s also really important because it allows you to measure, monitor and manage absence problems and their associated costs.
Keep individual records and accurately record and track all absences i.e. sickness, injury, certified and non-certified, approved, not approved.
You’ll also want to record the start date, end date, duration and nature of illness.
If you don’t have a fancy HR system this can be done with a simple excel template.
One of the cornerstones of absence management is accurate record keeping.
Look at individual records for any patterns or trends
Individual records can be combined for summary reports and to identify trends and then take any action you need to take.
So there is great value in record keeping. When you have accurate records you can calculate absence levels by using the ‘lost time rate’ and identify frequency of absences by individual, team or other groupings.
Having this information allows you to identify improvement goals and communicate those to the team.
We’ll follow on with more detail in our weekly blog over the coming weeks. If you are interested in receiving further information on these tips, please subscribe below and you will receive the other posts in your inbox
If you need help with accurate record keeping, contact us at here or call us on 083-4519335.
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Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information and material contained in this checklist, Jan Harte & Associates does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. This checklist is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be viewed as such.
