Absence Management Programme (AMP)
Managing sickness absence at work is costly and time consuming. In our current economic climate, it is more important than ever to ensure that long term absence in particular is reduced to levels that do not have a catastrophic impact on productivity and the bottom line.
If you read nothing further, please go through this checklist – it will give you some indication as to whether your organisation is at risk:-
Checklist for absence management
Do you have the following practices in place?
- A clear absence policy
- Each employee has a copy and fully understands it
- Each manager knows what happens from day one of absence to an employee’s return to work, and is able to implement it e.g. triggers and communication
- Absence rates are monitored on a regular basis (e.g. quarterly) and employee and department records are kept up to date with measurements and rates
- Turnover of staff at departmental and organisational level is monitored and action is taken if worrying trends arise
- Flexible systems are possible to facilitate a reintroduction to work of employees who have been on long term sickness absence
- Managers/supervisors are trained to facilitate a return to work discussion
- Managers/supervisors have knowledge and/or support on issues such as grievance and discipline procedures and any other appropriate company policies
If there are any gaps in your provision you may find that your absence management strategy is weak and could lead to difficulties.
The Kade Consultancy has developed a programme that enables employers to put in place systems that manage sickness absence effectively and prevents short-term absences leading to something more serious. When an employee is signed-off work with stress related symptoms, and/or depression we have the expertise to help them to overcome their difficulties and return to work. In addition, we liaise with managers and supervisors to give them the confidence to handle the return to work situation with confidence and sensitivity.
Three areas of analysis:
Management Standards and workplace stress click here
Stress in the workplace has been found to be the primary cause of poor health and well-being, low productivity and sickness absence. The Health and Safety Executive have produced a series of Management Standards to minimise workplace stress, covering six key areas of work activity. These standards are the starting point for our analysis of your organisation.
Work Demands
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that they are able to cope with the demands of their job and systems are in place within the department/organisation(locally) to respond to any individual concerns
To achieve this:-
- The organisation needs to provide employees with adequate and achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work
- People’s skills and abilities are matched to their job demands
- Jobs are designed to be within the capabilities of their employees
- Employees concerns about their work environment are addressed
Control
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that they are able to have a say about the way in which they do their work and systems are in place within departments/organisations (locally) to respond to any individual concerns
To achieve this:-
- Where possible employees have control over their pace of work
- Employees are encouraged to use their skills and initiative to do their work
- Where possible, employees are encouraged to develop new skills to help them undertake new and challenging pieces of work
- The organisation encourages employees to develop their skills
- Employees have a say over when their breaks can be taken and are consulted over their work patterns
Support
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that they receive adequate information and support from their colleagues and systems are in place within departments/organisations (locally)
To achieve this:-
- The organisation has policies and procedures to support employees in an adequate manner
- Systems are in place to enable and encourage managers to support their staff
- Systems are in place to enable and encourage employees to support their colleagues
- Employees know what support is available and how and when to access it
- Employees know how to access the required resources to do their job and receive regular and constructive feedback
Relationships
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that they are not subjected to unacceptable behaviours e.g. bullying at work and systems are in place within departments/organisations (locally) to respond to any individual concerns
To achieve this:-
- The organisation promotes positive behaviours at work to avoid conflict and ensure fairness
- Employees share information relevant to work
- The organisation has agree policies and procedures to prevent or resolve unacceptable behaviour
- Systems are in place to enable and encourage managers to deal with unacceptable behaviour
- Systems are in place to enable and encourage employees to report unacceptable behaviour
Role
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that they understand their role and responsibilities and systems are in place within departments/organisations (locally) to respond to any individual concerns
To achieve this:-
- The organisation ensures that, as far as possible, the different requirements it places upon employees are compatible
- The organisation provides information to enable employees to understand
- their roles and responsibilities
- The organisation ensures that, as far as possible, the requirements it places upon employees are clear
- Systems are in place to enable employees to raise concerns about any uncertainties or conflicts they have in their role and responsibilities
Change
The standard:-
- Employees indicate that the organisation engages them frequently when undergoing an organisational change and that systems are in place within the organisation (locally) to respond to any individual concerns
To achieve this:-
- The organisation provides employees with timely information to enable them to understand the reasons for proposed changes
- The organisation ensures adequate employee consultation on changes and provides opportunities for employees to influence proposals
- Employees are aware of the probable impact of any changes to their jobs. If necessary employees are given training to support any changes in their jobs
- Employees are aware of timetables for changes
- Employees have access to relevant support during changes
(Acknowledgements to the Health and Safety Executive for the above Management Standards)
This analysis would form the basis of training, coaching and consultancy work enabling your organisation to minimise the risk of short long term sickness absence.
Measuring absence and turnover of staff click here
There are a number of ways of measuring absence and turnover. For example, lost time rates will measure the severity of the problem, frequency rates look at individual worker absence or absences within a department and the Bradford Index measures short term absences. To measure turnover of staff a separation rate can be used and a stability index will indicate the extent to which the experienced workforce is being retained.
These measures indicate the extent of the problem, but you need to examine more closely whether there are trends within departments and analyse each aspect of a group’s working conditions to identify the causes of dissatisfaction. For example, the skill level, grade, age, sex and length of service need to be taken into consideration as well as the systems and structures in place as identified by the Management Standards noted above.
The return to work discussion click here
Research by the CBI and ACAS suggests that early intervention and good communication are extremely important in managing attendance. As a manager you have a responsibility to:
- Apply standards consistently
- Look after your employees’ well-being
- Keep within the law
- Look after the best interests of your employee and your company
- Keep in touch with employees when they are sick and away from work and when they return, conduct a return to work interview.
A return to work discussion is important because it can give you valuable information that may need to be acted upon e.g. things that are happening at work which might have led to the absence. But perhaps more importantly it gives out the message that your employee is important to your organisation and a valued member of staff. The ‘interview’ does not have to be a lengthy one – if someone has been absent for a few days with a cold, for example, it will be a brief exchange to welcome them back, identify the cause of the absence and check that they are feeling OK.
With longer absences it may take a little longer, as you may need to explore whether any reasonable adjustments need to be made, or what could ease their return to work.
The Kade Consultancy gives you a complete Absence Management Programme using a preventative and reactive approach - working with employers, managers and employees.
We provide:-
- A comprehensive analysis of your work environment to identify where its strengths and weaknesses lie
- A framework that adheres to the 6 management standards that is tailor made for your organisation that will enable you to minimise sickness absence
- The setting up and implementation of workable systems for managers and supervisors to identify stressors at work and put in place a positive return to work strategy
- Training for managers and supervisors in the essential skills needed to help employees remain in work or return to work
- Coaching for individual supervisors and managers who find this difficult
- Counselling for employees to feel more in control of their situation – whether the difficulties are personal or work related
- The creation of a climate that values its employees and enables them to be productive and motivated
The Kade Consultancy is committed to supporting and developing your workforce. Our staff are experienced psychologists, coaches and counsellors who will work with your organisation and with its individuals. Our associate company, Organic HR provides a range of independent advice, support and human resource consultancy services to complement our range of interventions.
Kade Associates
Organic HR LLP is a team of human resources and business professionals working in partnership with clients of all shapes and sizes. Based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and working with organisations regionally and nationally, their three main service areas are HR consultancy, people development and training, and providing outsourced HR support for SMEs. They pride themselves on providing a commercially focused, pragmatic and flexible service to their clients, and have a transparent and affordable pricing structure.
To link to Organic HR please click www.organichr.co.uk
Work Fit Occupational Physiotherapy and Ergonomic Services Ltd
Work Fit Ltd are experts in the prevention and management of ill health at work. Work Fit offer a range of service s including workplace assessments, ergonomics consultancy, clinical and rehabilitation services to help keep people at work or to return to work. We also provide Manual Handling training.
For more information go to www.work-fit.co.uk
Work Screen Ltd
Occupational Health Screening Systems
Work Screen Ltd is a spin-off company of The University of Leeds. Work Screen has a range of occupation-specific screening questionnaires that measure Work Instability – an indicator of how well people are managing at work. The benefit of Work Screens is the early identification and management of those at risk of sickness absence and potentially job retention problems.
For more information go to www.work-screen.co.uk