In a recent survey two-thirds (65%) of respondents said they managed absence through the combined efforts between HR and line managers.
Two-thirds (65%) of respondents manage absence through the combined efforts between HR and line managers, according to research by HR, talent management and payroll software provider Midland HR.
Its Understanding absence management study, which surveyed more 120 HR professionals, also found that 85% rely on reports to assist with communicating about the state of absence.
The study also found:
- 66% of HR executives desire real-time information about absenteeism across their organisations, while 54% would appreciate alerts to new figures and trends.
- Respondents have varying ways in how they define the cost of absence to the business; 56% refer to the employee’s salary including allowances, benefits and on-costs such as pensions and overtime, 41% use a combination of salary plus allowances, benefits and on-costs, and 3% base the cost on the employee’s salary alone.
Richard Thomas, director of Midland HR, said: “Clearly, organisations are still struggling. This research highlights a real lack of consistency in measuring and reporting absenteeism.
“Therefore, the way businesses measure absence needs to improve and the only way this can truly occur are by improving the entire absence management process.
“Of course, modern HR systems have a role to play in providing more sophisticated and intelligently presented absence information.
“Management teams also need to be able to draw meaningful insights from these reports so that they can improve their processes, management styles, employee engagement, productivity and, crucially, the bottom line.”
Petaurum Solutions Comment
A great piece of research that shows that with the growing capability HR systems, information about absence data and trends are becoming a key tool in understanding current issues and understanding future trends. With this information businesses can effectively and at times sensitively, tackle employee absence via managers and HR departments. The effectiveness of these interventions can be further improved by providing a range of supporting policies clearly setting out standards and training for managers and HR to ensure these standards are fairly applied. With many years of experience supporting businesses in improving employee performance, we are well placed to support you do the same, why not talk to us we know we will make a difference for you.
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