As manager for a busy OB-Gyn office in another lifetime, I was well aware of the impact of an absent employee.  There were patients to see, charts to manage, billing to be done and suddenly you are one or two people short.  Everything slowed down and other employees were working harder to take up the slack.
In the office most people were well aware of how their absence affected their departments and the practice as a whole, and tried to manage their time accordingly.
The employee with vacation benefits should be able to enjoy time off guilt-free.  If they are truly ill, they need to know their co-workers will be supportive while they are off work.  It is also important that they don’t come to work and infect others, but stay home and get well.  So – how can the employer be prepared to support the employee and their position?
For the employer, one interesting fact is a finding from a Kronos/Mercer study that employee absences, planned or unplanned, cost the company approximately 35% of base payroll.  An article in the Society For Human Resource Management (10/12/2010) talked about the need for employers to better manage these costs.
Some suggestions (and employees might want to think about their role in the process) include being aware of problem signs before unplanned absences occur.  Things such as chronic lateness might signal a health problem.  Complaints of work-related pain or discomfort, such as wrist pain in a computer operator, might warrant further investigation to see if their workplace can be modified to avert more complications.
For planned absences it is worth a supervisor’s time to include the employee in planning for coverage for their position.  Seek suggestions for allocating their chores, and in case of surgery or medical leave offer a modified work schedule to allow them to return more quickly. 
During non-vacation absences it is important to stay in touch with the employee. For all absences make sure that any changes made in their work area are relayed to them before they return. 
Managers have the difficult task of keeping their work unit running smoothly while having to work around absent employees.  The unit employees should be familiar enough with each other’s jobs to be able to cover for the absent member, unless the position is highly specific , in which case the manager should be able to secure coverage.  The manager should also be tuned in to the needs of the group, and if there’s a particularly unhappy employee who might have multiple absences, address the issue and mitigate the problem if possible. 
Actual disciplining of employees that abuse the company leave policies is more difficult.  There are a number of regulations such as the federal and state medical leave laws, disability absences, bereavement and many more.  It is important that the employees understand clearly the company policies, and any potential problems are addressed immediately by the employer.
Providing a supportive atmosphere for the employee while having the expectation that they’ll be at their jobs as required is a balancing act.  That’s why we have managers – best of luck to them!

Tags: benefits, employee benefits, employee morale, performance management

According to a survey conducted by Intuit, 44% of the almost 1000 small-business owners who use their payroll packages report that they plan to hire within the next 12 months. Their concern is that even though benefits are essential to attracting new hires, they may not be able to afford them. Almost 90 % of the participants acknowledged that health insurance benefits are important to attracting talent, but over half now don’t offer that benefit due to costs. With legislation pending that could force their hand, companies may have to delay adding more employees because they can’t provide health care coverage. This in spite of the expectations that their businesses will grow in the next year.

Another benefit that in the past has been a part of most employees’ compensation package is some sort of retirement program. More and more companies are reducing the size of the retirement programs or eliminating them all together, and many feel it is not the company’s responsibility to provide that option.

All this is bad news for the employees themselves as well as our small-business owners – each needing the other to succeed, but neither getting the support to succeed and survive economically. Intuit’s survey found another interesting fact; only 1% of respondents reported receiving federal stimulus money. While these business owners are busy people, they may be missing an opportunity by not looking into the options available here.

An article at Entrepreneur.com (October 2, 2009) presents another view of benefits. The author, Bonnie Lee, points out that yes it’s true employees recognize that benefits are an important part of their job, AND there is tax benefit to the employer. The benefits are paid for with pre-tax dollars. Also, you don’t have to cough up matching FICA and Medicare contributions for this part of the employee’s compensation. Sound like a win-win! Again it takes some time to find and manage these benefits, but the company ends up with satisfied and loyal employees. Time to check it out.

Tags: benefits, employee benefits, Hiring Trends