Are you seeing a spike in employee sickness?

For many years the first Monday in February has been referred to as national sickie day, where it’s statistically the day where most workers call in sick. Whether this is due to burnout or seasonal illnesses businesses usually experience a surge in employee absence on this day.

It’s a day where employees are most likely to call in sick and with employee sickness increasing by over 40% in the last three years it’s essential that business effectively manage their employee absences. From long-term health conditions rising and ongoing effects from the pandemic, it was approximated that 2.6 million people in the UK are classified as economically inactive due to the long-term health conditions. Sickness days continue to rise year on year and in 2024 it was forecasted that it could cost businesses in the UK £22 billion with over 158 million days lost.

The rising rates of sickness absence and the associated financial burdens highlight the need for businesses to invest in health and well-being initiatives whilst taking proactive measures to effectively manage the impact sickness absence has on organisations.

What is employee absenteeism?

Generally referred to as unplanned absence, employee absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence without a good reason. This can be either planned, or unplanned absence, common causes of this may include health issues, workplace stress, personal commitments or lack of engagement. When employees go absent, it subsequently has various impacts on businesses. Companies may face a disruption in productivity, increasing burden on other employees by picking up extra workload and frequent absence may lead to resentment among co-workers reducing employee morale. Employee absence can also lead to operational challenges due to missed deadlines, resulting in a decrease in customer satisfaction. However, all these factors will contribute to the increased costs businesses face when employees go absent. Not only will business be paying for the absent employee but also the consequences that follow, such as hiring temporary staff or overtime pay for covering shifts.

How to Proactively Tackle Employee Sickness?

Taking a strategic approach to employee sickness can help reduce the negative impact it causes, saving your business time and money. By effectively managing absence you can identify sickness trends, highlight any concerns early and ensure a sufficient plan is in place to efficiently manage any challenges you may face during employee absence.

  1. Implement an Absence Management System

Efficiently track, manage, report and analyse employee absences with Activ People HR. Features such as real-time absence reporting, automated notifications and leave approval workflows can help HR teams identify patterns and take proactive measures. Sufficient absence reporting is key for businesses to help establish what they can do to proactively tackle sickness challenges they face. With absence reporting, employees can categorise the leave type, allowing managers to easily identify if there are specific trends occurring for that specific employee. Employers can therefore use these reports to support and manage their employees.

2. Promote employee wellbeing

By encouraging a healthy work-life balance, you can help reduce burnout and absenteeism. Different initiatives you can introduce could be:

  • Offering flexible working options such as remote work or adjustable hours. With Activ People HR you can easily update your HR system to make necessary changes, so records are kept up to date and the required employees/departments are aware. For example, if an employee needs to work from home last minute, this can be updated within the system, so the calendar will make it clear that this person is not in the office and will be working from home and the required employees who need to know will be able to see this on their department calendar.
  • Providing mental health support via employee assistance programs
  • Promoting workplace wellness initiatives, including fitness programs, mindfulness sessions and financial benefits towards these.

3. Improve Workplace Engagement and Morale

A motivated and engaged workforce is less likely to take unnecessary sick days. As an employer ensure you encourage your employees as much as possible, celebrating the small wins and create a positive working environment.

  • Recognise and reward your employees for their hard work.
  • Organise team building activities
  • Offer professional development opportunities to keep your staff engaged and continue to learn and grow their skillsets. Provide a thorough training plan, keeping records and undertake regular progression reviews to showcase their learning.

4. Clarify Sick Leave Policies

As an employer it’s essential that you have a clear sick leave policiy so all employees know what their entitled to whilst also understanding the procedure and expectations of them when they go sick. With Activ People HR efficiently store your sick leave policy, where employees can access and refer to at any time. Automate sick leave requests and approvals, monitor trends to help spot frequent absences. Provide transparency and fairness in managing sick leave in your policy and easily complete return to work documents.

5. Encourage Open Communication

All employees should feel comfortable in their workplace to discuss any issues they may be facing that could affect their attendance. Managers should therefore:

  • Conduct regular check-ins with all employees.
  • Offer regular support to those struggling whether this is with workload or personal issues.
  • Build a culture of trust so employees can discuss challenges without fear.

Using HR Software to Manage Employee Absence

National sickie day may be a challenge for businesses, with more and more employees going sick it’s never been more important for companies to implement the right strategies and tools to proactively reduce the impact sickness causes. Using Activ People HR, companies can effectively manage employee absenteeism, support employee wellbeing and maintain productivity even during peak sick leave periods.

Use today as an opportunity to refine your absence management strategies to foster a more engaged and resilient workplace and put a strategic approach in place to effectively analyse and manage sick leave.