Introduction:
I was asked to investigate the staff absence in our branch. I have checked the absence figures from 1996 to 2000, for year 2001 month by month and for the April 2001 day by day. I have also spoken with staff to seek their views.
Findings:
1. Our branch employs 20 workers.
2. Total number of days lost through sickness by staff have increased gradually from the year 1996 to 2000. The number of absences without medical certificate has rocket from 340 in the year 1996 to 506 in 2000. Meanwhile the number of days lost by staff with medical certificate have fluctuated slightly around 90ies. Each member of staff was ill average for 30 days during one year.
3. Figure for the year 2001 shows that the number of days lost from January to April was very high and amount to 282. If the indicator is the same in other months in this year, it will give 846 absences in the work during whole year.
4. Figure for April 2001 shows that every day was a few workers absent without medical certificate. Mostly they were off work in Mondays and Fridays. Everybody was in work only in one day during whole month.
5. Staff is aware of abusing absent system.
Conclusions:
Our branch has a problem concerning too high number of absence among the staff. The indicator of absence without medical certificate has increased for last few years. Moreover employees notice that they can take a free day easily. Some of them do it regularly. The number of staff in work is too little, and they are too busy. It cause a additional stress and overworked.
Recommendations:
I think that a policy of not requiring justification from staff who are absent for less than 5 days does not work well. We should ask workers to produce a medical certificate. I am conscious that it could lead to resistance from staff, therefore I suggest giving them extra eight days of sick leave in each years. They can be off work without medical certificate, when they catch a small colds, but it will not be abused. We should also organize a meeting with employees. They have to be aware of absence problem in our branch.