Ruby McKenzie
When you are promoted to being a manager, it is an exciting time. You have new responsibilities, new pay, and, more than likely, a new team to oversee.
Of course, with that last point, there is a lot to learn, and it can be hard to know how to handle certain aspects of employee relations. One thing that can be tricky for new managers is to consider how to handle employee absence and to learn what the legal processes are surrounding it.
So, moving into a management position, what do you need to know about employee absence? Read on to find out.
1. It Is Stressful
Managing employee sickness is more than just collecting sick notes. When an employee calls in sick, you, as the manager will need to begin to arrange statutory sick pay, or occupational sick pay and be sure to pass the absence on to your team. However, you will also need to look into cover, which can put pressure on your team and increase their workload, which can in turn, lead to them becoming more stressed.
Stressed employees are more likely to make mistakes and are also more likely to suffer from issues with motivation. This can, in turn, lead to delays and a lack of consistently good work. If an employee is absent long-term, you will need to look into temporary workers, which can be costly.
2. Stress Is The Most Common Reason For Long Term Leave
Stress and other associated mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression are the most common reasons reported for long-term sick leave. As a manager, this links directly to the point above, and it should be noted as such. If a staff member is off sick long-term, then this can place stress on the other workers, which can increase the chances of them becoming stressed and taking sick leave.
Indeed, studies have found that as of 2024, over 60% of all sick leave in the UK, both short and long-term was linked to stress. So, as a manager, in order to prevent more absences from your staff, you will need to weigh up the pros and cons of placing more demands on current staff or hiring help. It is also important to keep an eye out for signs of stress in your staff and intervene with solutions when you can.
3. Mondays and Sick Leave
This is no secret! More than any other day of the week, staff are more likely to call in sick on a Monday. Why? Aside from the weekend being all-too-alluring, it has been considered that sick leave on a Monday is not due to illness, but rather the need for staff to recuperate. So, again, it boils down to stress.
As a manager, it can be worth looking into being able to offer staff flexibility with their days in the office or even offer remote or hybrid working.
4. You Will Need an Absence Management Strategy
As a new manager, you will need to consider the strategy that is in place related to current sickness and staff absences. The last thing you want, or need is for staff to appear in the workplace when they are not well, as this can cause illnesses to spread, as well as lead to a higher increase in mistakes and lowered productivity. There are many absence management strategies to choose from, and, ideally, you will want to put the focus on employee wellbeing to try and get them back into the office, and reduce their absence.
5. Resilience Training Can Help
Stress and associated illnesses are the main reasons why staff take leave.
As a new manager, you have the option of reducing the workload on your staff (not a good option for long-term productivity), or you have the option to introduce interventions that can reduce staff absence.
Resilience training can be offered and taught in the workplace, which will help staff increase their capacity to recover from tough times, as well as handle pressure better and identify their own options for reducing stress. Talking openly with your staff about these strategies, as well as implementing them, if possible, can help you to build a resilient team, who will be able to put more work in, and help up productivity.
Remember, employee absence costs companies billions of dollars every year and has a significant impact on the economy. By helping staff to reduce this, not only are you helping your company, but you are also proving your salt as a productive manager.
