It’s that time of year again, when colds and the flu are rampant and it seems like every other day another member of your staff is calling in sick.
Everyone gets sick occasionally, and in Canada flu season typically peaks in December and again in January – February with the cold temperatures. But for people managers, this time of year can be hard when deadlines need to be met and new year goals achieved. Managing chronic sick leave is even more difficult.
According to Statistics Canada, the average Ontario worker misses 8.5 days per year (6.8 sick days & 1.7 days for personal or family responsibilities). For larger corporations and the government sector this number is troubling; but for small and medium sized businesses days off can culminate in huge losses to productivity and may affect the organizations bottom line. The best way to overcome the pitfalls that come with chronic absenteeism is to use a combination of methods to not only monitor frequent sick days but also to ensure a pattern of frequent sick days doesn’t become the norm for your staff.
Listed below are a few practical tips to help you manage chronic sick leave.
Track Attendance
Tracking attendance is important to identify any patterns in absenteeism early. This is your opportunity to start communicating and working with the employee when there are early signs of chronic illness or patterned absenteeism. Communication is key to ongoing dialogue and working with your staff to develop a suitable solution to manage chronic sick leave.
Understand your Team
Be on the lookout for warning signs. If there is a spike in employees calling in sick (and it’s not because of a bout of the flu that’s making the rounds) have a conversation to find out what the issue could be. It can be awkward to approach someone who may be feigning an illness. Asking the right questions can give you a good idea of your staff’s sense of stress or job satisfaction. It takes time to cultivate a trusting professional relationship with staff. Regular check-ins are important to show team members that management is invested in their professional development and well-being.
Identify Possible Causes
Absenteeism can be the result of stress (at work or at home), a poor match within the organization, childcare or eldercare responsibilities, disengaged employees, the list goes on and on. Identifying the cause will make it easier to find the best solution.
Request Medical Info
Know when to request a Doctor’s note to substantiate sick leave and to include as part of continued documentation.
Follow Up
Work collaboratively with the employee and their medical professionals to obtain relevant medical information that is specific to their limitations and to the workplace. Follow up regularly and provide the necessary tools to assist in making their working hours balanced and manageable.
Accommodate
Accommodating the unique needs of an employee at an early stage can avoid conflict down the road. There are often small changes that can be made to the employee’s schedule or work duties that may meet their accommodation needs. Make sure you are aware of the Employment Standards Act leaves of absence without pay that are available to employees.
Document
Of all tips, this is perhaps the most important. Always keep detailed notes about managing the illness at the workplace. These notes should include all communication with the employee, any accommodations considered, employee response, how the efforts to accommodate are impacting the workplace (good and bad) and any other pertinent information. Having this type of information can help in the long run in case other measures need to be taken.
Managing frequent absenteeism and employee sick leave is a very sensitive issue and has to be managed in a way that doesn’t hurt the organization but also helps the employee. Using these techniques will help you manage chronic sick leave while balancing that slippery slope by giving managers the tools that will put the business and the employee – on top.
For information on the Employment Standard Act leaves of absence read the Fusion Blog on Family Friendly Leaves or check out our Manager Guides.
