More than a third of all sick leave is taken on a Monday, according to new sickness management research by Mercer.
January is the month with the highest level of sickness absence, with sick leave averaging half a day per person for the month. On 3 and 4 January, nearly 5% of the total employee population was absent on sick leave.
More than a third (35%) of all sick leave is taken on a Monday, with attendance on the remaining working days becoming higher as the week progresses. Fridays are least likely to be taken as sick leave, and account for only 3% of sickness absence during the working week.
Phiroze Bilimoria, a client manager at Mercer, said: “Companies with high absence rates carry an extra burden of costs that often drains organisational effectiveness and profitability. Direct costs can be measured through overtime payments and temporary contracts but hidden costs, reflected in reduced productivity, missed deadlines and litigation are generally much higher.
“Organisations that record and manage employee absence can reduce the toll on direct business costs and overall performance. Better coordination between line managers, occupational health teams and external healthcare providers can be particularly effective for managing long-term stress and musculo-skeletal conditions.”†
Mercer’s research is based on an analysis of sickness management records for 11,000 individual employees across a range of private sector organisations.
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I agree with the conclusion of Phiroze Bilimoria, researcher at Mercer, that “Monday sickness and frequent short-term absences can be a symptom of low employee engagement and morale within certain teams or departments,” and also with his view that, “once identified, companies can take measures to try and address this.”
It is certainly important that organisations look to identify the underlying causes of high absenteeism levels. Why? Because if employees are not fully engaged, this will impact on the results they produce and ultimately whether they stay with the company.
If they are to remain loyal and motivated, individuals need to feel their growth aspirations and financial goals are within reach. Without actionable career development plans, dissatisfied staff will look for other opportunities that offer them their desired growth. All employers need an effective employee engagement strategy that strengthens morale, reduces absenteeism but ultimately also increases productivity and staff retention.
By focusing on talent development, businesses can engage the workforce by delivering goal management, which provides clear targets, recognises achievement and aligns employee objectives with those of the organisation as a whole. When coupled with a clear career development plan, this approach boosts productivity and potential and helps banish both winter chills and Monday morning blues.