EHS Today
  • Magazine Subscription
  • ENewsletters
  • EHS Education
  • Safety Leadership Conference
  • America's Safest Companies
    • Search
  • EHS Today Intelligence
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Standards
  • Safety Technology
  • Training & Engagement
  • Leadership
  • Topics
    EHS IntelligenceEnvironmentHealthSafetyLeadershipStandardsConstructionPPESafety TechnologyTraining & EngagementEmergency ManagementCOVID-19 CrisisIndustrial Hygiene
    Resources
    Member BenefitsSafety Leadership ConferenceEHS EducationAmerica's Safest Companies AwardsWebinarsWhite PapersWorkplace Safety AcademyMagazine SubscriptioneNewsletter SubscriptionLatest HeadlinesContact UsAdvertisePress ReleasesPrivacy & Cookie PolicyTerms of Service
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    1. Archive

    Flexible Working Hours Could Be the Solution to Rising Employee Absences

    Jan. 29, 2003
    A new survey of personnel managers indicates many believe that flexible work hours could stop rising employee absences by allowing workers time off to deal with personal issues such as stress and childcare, without having to resort to calling in sick.
    Sandy Smith

    A survey of 400 human resources professionals by The Work Foundation of Great Britain comes as that government struggles to gain employer buy-in for new family-friendly employment rights, which take effect in April. The new figures reverse the previous downward trend and are the highest since 1996 when The Work Foundation began monitoring absence.

    Overall absence rates in 2002 were 4.12 percent (or nine days per employee per year) - up from 2.9 percent in 2001. The problem is particularly acute in the public and voluntary sectors - where the absence rate has more that doubled, from 2.97 percent in 2001 to 7.86 percent in 2002.

    The top five reasons given by employees for time off are colds/flu (93 percent), food poisoning/stomach upsets (77 percent), headaches/migraines (64 percent), stress/emotional/personal problems (54 percent) and back problems (47 percent).

    By contrast, managers believe the most common reasons for absence are cold/flu (59 percent), stress/emotional/personal problems (58 percent), Monday morning blues/extending the weekend (39 percent), sickness of other family member/childcare problems (36 percent), the concept of being entitled to taking sick leave (31 percent), and low morale/boring job (31 percent).

    Over half of the responding organizations offer employees flexible schedules. Two-thirds of these companies believe that flexible working hours help to reduce absence, as do flexible annual leave (49 percent) and occasionally allowing employees to work from home. (48 percent).

    Traditionally, the groups most at risk of absence are male manual workers and women with child or elder care responsibilities at home. While the figures suggest that companies are having some success in managing manual worker absence, the reverse is true of female absence, which seemed to increase slightly in 2002.

    Employers "may find that flexible work practices address the 'ability to attend factor' and help people manage their responsibilities more effectively," said Stephen Bevan, The Work Foundation's deputy director of research.

    The survey also found that the financial impact of absence is calculated in less than half (43 percent) of companies surveyed a decrease of 11 percent since 1996. One-third of the respondents claimed that calculating the financial impact of employee absence is too time-consuming. Around a quarter of the respondents do not have a computerized personnel system or accurate attendance records.

    Continue Reading

    How Can Flourishing Help Worker Well-Being?

    Workplace Flexibility Associated with Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Is Your Safety Program Effective? 10 Questions Every Safety Leader Should Ask

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    Nov. 7, 2023

    The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Autopsy of an Injury Uncovering 18 Million Exposures in One Activity

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    Making Naloxone Part of Emergency Preparedness Plan

    The ROI of Visual AI for HSE - Unlocking the Power of Data

    Clear Vision: Safeguarding Construction Workers' Eyes on the Job

    Most Read

    So You Think You Know a Lot about OSHA? (Quiz)

    Not Many Leaders are Confident in Their Well-Being Programs

    How Can Flourishing Help Worker Well-Being?


    Sponsored

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    5 Emerging Technologies in Ergonomics and Why They Matter

    Your Guide To Managing Influenza And Protecting Productivity

    EHS Today
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo