Every company faces the impact of employee absence, but some minimize it by taking proactive steps. Your company can be one of them!

The impact of absence and absenteeism is directly proportional to company bottom line. By implementing certain cultures and procedures, it’s possible to positively affect the absence levels.

Attendance tracking systems

Start by keeping track of employee absence. Having a system that shows employee absence patterns, will help managers deal with employees in a fair and consistent manner. It will also help a company distinguish between those employees that may need further support regarding ongoing personal issues. Making the system transparent and giving access to all employees via company intranet can further help by sharing standards that are expected of them and reduce the chances of employees using lack of accessibility as an excuse as to why they failed to follow the policy.

Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs have been proven to be one of the most effective ways to create a happy and healthy work environment which will positively impact productivity. Effective wellness programs help keep people fit, induce engagement and provide a topic of conversation without making anyone feel pressured into taking part, all of which results in lower unplanned absences and organizational productiveness. Some wellness program ideas include:

• On-site fitness center and trainer, Walking or running club
• Mindfulness classes
• Stretch breaks
• Team sports (Volleyball, basketball etc)
• Book discussion breaks
• Team outings
• Ergonomic education and training

Flexible work times

For those type of jobs where possible, it is worth offering flexible work schedules or opportunities to work from home. Employees would enjoy flexibility to meet family and personal needs and obligations conveniently, spend less time commuting, reduce fuel costs and have more control over schedule and work environment. Employers would likely experience all or some of these benefits:

• Increased employee engagement and productivity
• Reduced turnover of valued staff
• Improved image as an employer of choice

Paid time off

Another good idea to help alleviate absenteeism is paid time off. Some Mondays, Fridays and days around national sporting events or public holidays seem to be popular days for unplanned absences. Being aware of these popular days makes it easier to budget for paid time off and unplanned absences.

Future planning

Positive reinforcement simply works, and this is no exception. Rewarding good attendance rather than punishing employees for absence -which is found to be counterproductive- not only encourages employees to clock in every day and compete in a healthy positive environment but also reduces issues that come with presenteeism. As well, professionally conducted health risk assessment on a regular basis provides vital information that help prepare workplaces to deal with absence. Besides, it promotes care, welfare and well-being of employees with positive thinking and shared responsibility with equal concern for all.

Even with all these policies implemented, if employees do not feel secure communicating with management, both employers and employees are less likely to benefit from the results. Making efforts to put employee at ease, showing empathy and encouraging them to be open and honest about their needs and concerns can help understand the situation they’re in and build the trust between employee and management.

 

 

 

 

 

We may all agree that legitimate sick days can’t be helped, but what about the more questionable absences? Apparently, some employees think being sick isn’t good enough excuse, so they get a little more creative.

Here for your amusement are, some of the funniest excuses people have used to call in sick that aren’t necessarily lies — but they’re certainly odd and sound suspicious.

 

1. I used hair removal on my face and my face swelled up.

 

2. An employee calls in and says she can no longer go to work for 7am.  When asked why, she states she has headaches and that her doctor said she was getting up too early and not getting enough sleep.  The employers asked what time she was getting to bed and the employee stated “1 am in the morning”.

 

3. An employee shows up to work in a bottling company. After an hour of work the employee goes to the H.R. department and says “I cannot work here, I am allergic to water”

** Are humans not made up of 97% water???

 

4. Employee called in to work first thing in the morning. “I cannot go to work today, I had my teeth ripped out and I burnt my hand on the stove.

 

Oh, how’s your hand.

 

5. Employee calls into her work. “I cannot go to work today, my husband is sick, his hand really hurts”

How old is your husband???

 

6. At 7am an employee calls his place of work and leaves this message “I cannot work today, I am on my way to the hospital to have surgery on my penis”.

 

Enlargement or shrinkage?

 

 

7. Prospective employer calls an employee offering employment. “Hello April, we would like to offer you some work with our company, you would be starting today at 4pm.  Employee: Great, I’m very excited and looking forward to it.

….10minutes after the phone call…. “Hi, this is April, I will not be able to start work.

Employer: “Oh why”

Employee:  I phoned home and told my mother I had a job.  She said, that’s great.  But your younger brother is going to jail, so pack up all your stuff and head home”

 

8. Employment agency calls up an individual to offer work.  Employee states: “Some days I won’t feel like working, so if a job is not flexible, there’s no point.”

 

 

9. I can’t go to work today; the garbage bag fell on my hand.

 

 

10. I can’t go to work because I haven’t bathed for 9 days and I have to take a bath today.

 

Yes, please take a bath.

 

11. Employee calls work to explain why she is not at work. “I couldn’t go to work because I have gonorrhea.”

 

12. I can’t go to work today because I have Diarrhea.

 

13. Employee calls the office stating, “I cannot go to work anymore.” Employer asks why not and the employees replies, “I just came from the doctor’s and it is determined that I am paranoid.”

 

 

Equal Pay for Equal Work New Amendment is Here. Have you made changes?

Bill 148 introduced a lot of changes to the ESA, many of which have already come into effect such as minimum wage increase. The ESA had already provided that employers are prohibited from paying employees different rates based on sex if they performed work that required substantially same skills, effort and responsibility and they worked under similar conditions.

Effective April 1, 2018 Bill 148 adds a new provision to the ESA with similar prohibitions to mandate employers pay employees at the same rate based on employment status when they work in the same establishments and;

• They perform substantially same kind of work
• Their work requires substantially same skills, effort and responsibility
• They work under similar working conditions.

The term “employment status” in the ESA refers to difference in permanent, temporary, seasonal or casual employment.

Bill 148 also requires temporary help agency employees to be paid at the same rate as existing employees of the agency’s client who perform substantially the same work with criteria set out above.

Employers cannot reduce an employee’s rate of pay in order to comply with this provision of Bill 148.

Are there any exceptions?

A difference in the rate of pay is still justifiable based on any of the following criteria:

• A seniority system
• A merit system
• A system that measures earnings by quality or quantity of production
• Any other factor other than sex or employment status.

Although rate of pay has not been defined, it likely requires same wage rate but not same benefits or other entitlements.

Subsequently, any employee who believes that their rate of pay does not comply with this provision, can request a review of their pay rate from their employer. When employee does so, employer must either adjust employee’s pay rate or provide a written response with reasons clearly set out.

What your business should do to be prepared

As a result of these amendments, provincially regulated employers in Ontario should take a holistic look at their employees and positions to determine if any employees at an establishment are performing substantially same kind of work requiring substantially same skills, effort and responsibility under similar conditions are being paid different rates. If the difference in rate is not based on any exceptions including seniority and merit, consider increasing pay rates before a request for wage review comes in.

It is prudent to have standardized procedures in place that include job descriptions (for which compensable factors are taken into account) and carefully documented performance management and employee evaluation. Employers should also decide on how they will have employees’ request for wage review handled with steps concisely determined.

 

In a workplace not everybody has the spirit and joy of Mary Poppins or a constant smile like Mickey Mouse. Yes, these are fictional characters and in reality no one is ever always in a great mood. However, for the most part, at work people tend to lean towards happiness and positivity. But what about the opposite end of the spectrum? People who are perpetually negative, with a constant cloud of disapproval and hostility hanging over them?

Unfortunately, they also exist. And that type of an attitude can have a lasting effect in the workplace. They’re not always easy to pick out of a crowd, but they can do their fair share of damage over time.  Negative employees like this tend to fall under the radar and don’t make the big mistakes that call attention to themselves. They are typically good at their jobs so don’t get called out on their negative behaviour.

If you’re not sure, here are a few telltale signs of an unhappy or negative employee. They  include employees who:

• are always finding things to complain about, or over emphasize a co-workers mistake;
• are gossipers and turn fellow employees against each other;
• talk behind co-workers’ backs, or
• undermine authority with criticism that’s not obvious, so is rarely corrected.

The first step to dealing with a bad attitude is for the manager to identify the actions of negative people , then make it clear that those actions will not be tolerated. If the individual is a good performer this can be difficult. But the bottom line is you cannot let one individual cripple the whole team’s morale.

Understand the Problem

The first step is to take a closer look at the employee’s behaviour to understand what’s causing it. Maybe they are not happy with their job, or are not being challenged enough. Perhaps they are having issues in their personal life. Whatever it may be, talk with them and ask them how they are doing – not just at work but at home too.  If you find there’s a reason for why they’re acting the way they are, offer solutions to help.

Provide Constructive Feedback

In many cases, toxic employees don’t know the effect they have on others. That’s why it’s important to give honest and direct feedback. Explain the negative behaviour and its effects using specific examples. And talk about the kind of behaviour you would rather see by telling them what you expect them to change. Aim for clearly defined, measurable goals by creating an improvement plan with the employee. This will give them a chance to change their attitude and have a more positive impact on people.

Explain the Consequences

While developing a plan, make sure the consequences of continuing with a bad attitude are clear. Let that employee know what they stand to lose if the behaviour continues. This is not a threat of getting fired, but let them know that privileges that they care for could be taken away or modified as a result. This could be a bonus or the ability to work from home. Whatever it is, most people will be more likely to change their attitude if they know that it comes at a cost.

Here are a few additional tips. Don’t get distracted and always document everything. Have a clear plan and a paper trail of the actions taken. This is extremely important and will serve you well when issues like this are escalated.

 

 

 

When managing a business, there are many obvious culprits that interfere with workflow and the general success of an organization. These culprits can be anything from lack of time to workers who simply are not up to doing the job. But what most people managers don’t realize is that those factors don’t account for much. The real bandit responsible for millions of dollars in lost productivity is stress in the workplace. Some people don’t recognize when they are stressed. While others are consumed by it and don’t think they can do anything about it.

The reality is, doing nothing about stress can cause a loss of productivity, unhealthy workplace relationships, absenteeism and increased healthcare costs. It’s in the best interest of any organization to train their managers to recognize and understand common workplace stressors and how to deal with them.

Workplace Stressors – Lack of Knowledge

People get stressed out when they don’t have the right skills to deal with a situation or perform their job duties well. Feeling ill equipped to perform your job, or having constant feelings of doubt, will inevitably cause those feelings to come to fruition.

How to Overcome it?

As a manager it’s your job to create an environment where people are not afraid to say they don’t understand or need help. Know that if they are struggling, so to will the goals and success of the organization. This doesn’t  mean you shouldn’t challenge your staff, it just means that they should feel comfortable asking for support if a situation becomes “unsolvable”. It may seem extravagant to bring in extra staff or pay an expert, but when the project is done in less than half the time, it’s clear to see that the investment was worth it.

Workplace Stressors – Lack of Time

When you’re driving to work in the morning, typically you don’t have any stress. However, driving to that same workplace when traffic is stopped and you have 15 minutes until you’re due to make an important presentation – your usual blissful ride becomes stressful.

How to Overcome It?

As a manager, set realistic goals and deadlines for your staff. Deadlines are important because people need that guidance and certainty when assigned a task. Setting an unrealistic deadline will either get you a delayed project, or a half-baked project with a team that is stressed out. There will always be exceptions to that rule, but it should never become the norm.

Workplace Stressors – Change

There are some people who crave change. They get bored easily, and the boredom causes stress. However, this is the minority. For the majority of people it’s the change that causes stress. Dealing with professional and experienced staff, managers should recognize that it’s the effort that it takes to re-familiarize yourself with something new that is the cause of stress.

How to Overcome It?

Always focus on the benefits of change. If employees are hesitant, as the leader you have to gain their support. To do this you have to clearly articulate to your team the benefits vs. the threats of the change. If that doesn’t work then perhaps you need to re-think it. Having the power to force change on your team should not be considered. The stress it will cause will be huge and may not be something you can fix without extreme measures.

Different things stress people out, we are not wired the same. For some organizations, this is why they give up on stress management. But do not let it deter you. Be aware of the most common stress-causing factors. It will help you to be more  proactive in reducing stress and will also help you grow as a leader.