Absences are commonly called sick days, but not all sick days are caused by illness. Frequent absences can have a big impact on both your role as well as your company’s bottom line. Some of the setbacks include increased costs due to lost productivity, lost revenue and hiring replacement workers. What’s more, since sick days are unplanned they can disrupt work flow or increase workloads on other employees.

There are many reasons why your employee might call in sick. Knowing what to expect and how to handle each problem fairly will put you in a place of control and respect. It’s therefore important for you to understand the key types of absences:

•      Incidental absences — absences that are casual and non-patterned. The cause for concern is low with this type of absence. An example of incidental absence is when your employee catches a cold and calls in sick.

•      Intermittent  absences  —  these  absences  are  more  common  and  reoccurring.

Intermittent absences might lead to more absences or a stressed-out employee so it’s good for you know how to spot early warning signs.

•      Patterned absences — patterned absences might mean the employee faces a barrier or conflict that prevents him or her from coming to work on scheduled days. This type of absence is repetitive, sometimes on the same day of the week or month. For example, an employee with a medical condition might be absent once a month to receive treatment. Patterned absences are sometimes the trickiest to manage because every employee has a right to his or her privacy. However, if you aren’t prepared to manage patterned absences, they can potentially lead to increased absences, decreased productivity, or even short and long term disability.

Preventing Absence

An ounce of prevention is worth a happy and productive team of employees! Show an active concern for the health and well-being of your employees; your efforts will instill a relationship of trust and respect in the workplace. You can help your staff and prevent absences by offering appropriate support when you notice signs of concern.

Examples of issues that may lead to absences:

•      Mental Health — employee(s) might display patterns of behaviour that are out of his or her usual routines. He or she might start showing up late for work, shouting or crying at work, or seem withdrawn from others. These are signs that he or she may need social support or recovery interventions, like the Employee Assistance Plan.