Reducing absenteeism at work

Text Box: The simple 4-step approach to effective return-to-work interviews Routine return-to-work interviews will solve most absence problems. Managers need to know why they should tackle absenteeism. and they need to know how to do it. This top-selling video-based training programme contains everything you need to equip your managers with the skills and knowledge they need to carry out effective return-to-work interviews. Use it to cut absenteeism in your organisation. Employees also need to understand the return-to-work interview. They need to know why absence matters and what their manager will want to talk to them about when they return from a period of absence. Equipping your employees with a greater knowledge about what they can expect from the return-to-work interview will help them understand the system and their responsibility for their absence. Taking a performance management approach to improving attendance saves money and supports employees. 1 DVD or 2 videos (each 19 minutes), Trainer’s Guide, Manager’s Guide, Employee’s Self-study Workbook. CD-ROM with workbooks in Adobe® Acrobat® pdf format and Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides for 1 hour and 1 day sessions £1265.00 + carriage + VAT Hire: £399 + VAT for 2 days plus £30 + VAT per day thereafter Train your managers to use the W.A.R.M. approach to absenteeism: Welcome Welcome them back; tell them they were missed Absence Discuss the absence; are they fit to return? Responsibility Explain that being absent means they have a problem; talk about how they are going to solve it Move on Focus on getting back to work; end on an upbeat note. Manager’s Guide • Self-study workbook for managers • One-hour session for training team leaders and supervisors • Handouts. Employee’s Guide • Self-study workbook for employees • Includes a separate video for employees • Helps employees understand the organisation’s policy on return to work interviews. Trainer’s Guide • One hour training session • One day training session • 3 role-plays • Handouts • Ready-made activities • Pre-course work sheet • ‘OK to Copy’ The Manager’s Guide to Managing Absence.

Text Box: Many managers feel powerless in the face of persistent absenteeism – “they have a Doctor’s note, what can I do?” or even “I’ve noticed she is off every four weeks ... How can I possibly say anything?” They may feel even more powerless with the endless stream of legislation – “they will complain that I am acting unfairly ...”. Challenging Absenteeism explores situations that your managers may have been shying away from because they are too sensitive or difficult, or that they feel they have no choice but to accept the employee’s side of the story. Challenging Absenteeism gives managers the confidence to push harder where necessary. The two videos show seven different challenges – each split into two vignettes. The first shows how any competent manager may easily make mistakes, and the second shows the same interview, but where the manager moves the situation forward. Critically, even if the issue is not completely resolved, because it has been addressed the absence will probably reduce 1 DVD or 2 Drama Videos, Trainer’s Guide £1265.00 + carriage + VAT Hire: £399 + VAT for 2 days plus £30 + VAT per day thereafter KEY BENEFITS Ensures your managers understand: • The importance of investigating any underlying causes for absenteeism • That solving absenteeism issues may take further actions and time • That confronting absenteeism is absolutely critical to reducing the levels • And have confidence in handling sensitive or difficult issues • How to discuss facts, not beliefs.
The Seven ‘Challenges’: 1. The doctor’s certificate – How a manager deals with a worker who believes that the doctor’s certificate is all there is to say. 2. The menstrual cycle – A young manager faces an older female worker who misses odd days at roughly four weekly intervals. 3. It’s none of your business – A worker refuses to tell his manager why he was away. 4. It’s your fault I’m stressed – How a manager deals with stress caused by work. 5. It’s stress! (the external cause) – Absence caused by stress outside of work. 6. Take it as holiday – How a manager deals with a worker who volunteers to take the time from his holiday entitlement. 7. The union rep – A worker demands the right to be accompanied by his union representative at a discussion of his absence.

Absence costs you and your organisation money!

Money in terms of lost productivity, and time, hassle and stress in trying to cope with the absentee’s workload. Some absence is acceptable – a domestic crisis, genuine illness, but much is not. With the summer here, how many of your staff will be enjoying the sunshine when they should be at work?

You, your HR department and their managers will never know whether the absence is genuine or not unless you have a clearly defined policy, backed up by return-to-work interviews after every unauthorised absence. These interviews give you the opportunity to ensure they are fit to return to work, to determine if the absence is work related or the individual just chose not to come to work that day.

These products will help you and your managers to radically reduce absenteeism in your organisation – they are a small investment that could have a huge impact on your bottom line!

Call us today!