Research Report under Dr. Vandana Sharma
Causes of Employee Absenteeism
Priya Jha, Tanya Tripathy, Vikas Sharma
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to present major causes of employee absenteeism. This research is done by qualitative approach. Research technique is content analysis used in this research. Sources of data in this research are websites, articles, magazines, documentations etc. In this research we collected data from different sources with the help of internet. Also, we analysed some published data, (that were related to employee absenteeism) and calculated percentage using those data. Finally, we got the result. Result highlights some major causes, that increase “the problem of employee absenteeism”.
Keywords:
Absenteeism, Causes, Employee absenteeism, employee, Absence of work
INTRODUCTION
Employee absenteeism is a frequent lack of attendance at work without valid cause. Absenteeism leads to reduced productivity levels, high administration costs, increased labour costs (if replacement temporary workers), understaffing (which could lead to poor customer service), Poor morale among colleagues So; Absenteeism is one of the major threats to industry.
Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employers and employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. Absenteeism is the failure of employees to report for when they are scheduled to work. Absenteeism is becoming a serious problem practice in labour-oriented industries especially in those large industries where labourers are working in mass. It is a matter of prime concern for the supervisors and managers. Authorized absence is also treated as absence while presence even for a part of the shift is treated as presence for the whole shift. Absence on account of strikes, lockout, layoff weekly rests or suspension is not taken into account. Thus, it relates to only voluntary absence due to personal reasons of the individual concerned.
A satisfactory level of attendance by employees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targets by a department. Employees are absent from work and thus the work suffers. High absenteeism in the workplace may be indicate poor performance of employees.
LIERATURE REVIEW
Article, Blog, Magazine & Website Name | Author Name | Author Findings |
Forbes | - | Bullying and harassment, Burnout, stress and low morale, Childcare and eldercare, Depression, Disengagement, illness, Injuries, Job hunting & Partial shifts |
Rmagazine | MICHELLE JACO | Bullying and harassment, Burnout, stress and low morale, Childcare and eldercare, Depression, Disengagement, illness, Injuries, Job hunting & Partial shifts |
HIGHSPEED TRAINING HUB | ELLIE CLLIER | Bullying and harassment, Burnout, stress and low morale, Childcare and eldercare, Mental Health Problem, Bereavement, illness |
Business.com | MONA BUSHNELL | illness, Injuries, Burnout, stress and low morale, Childcare and eldercare |
Investopedia | JEAN FOLGER | Bullying and harassment, Burnout, stress and low morale, Childcare and eldercare, Depression, Disengagement, illness, Injuries, Job hunting & Partial shifts |
Culture AMP | HANNAH PRICE | Burnout, stress and low morale, Disengagement, illness, Childcare and eldercare, Injuries, Depression |
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research is done by purposive sampling, a purposive sample is a non-probability sample that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. Sources of data in this research are websites, articles, magazines etc. Published data of trusted bodies have performed as a checks & balance to ensure data reliability in this research.
Research technique is content analysis in this research, it can use in qualitative researches. This method is a systematic approach that data is collected through a set of texts, which can be written, oral, or visual: Books, newspapers and magazines, Speeches and interviews, Web content and social media posts, Photographs and films etc.
By using this method, researchers can analyse communication and social interaction without the direct involvement of participants. Researchers can conduct content analysis at any time, in any location, & at low cost.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
- What are the major causes of employee absenteeism?
OBJECTIVE
- To identify major causes of employee absenteeism.
DISCUSSION
Causes of Absenteeism
Some of the common causes of absenteeism include (but are not limited to):
- Bullying and harassment - Employees who are bullied or harassed by co-workers and/or bosses are more likely to call in sick to avoid the situation
- Burnout, stress and low morale - Heavy workloads, stressful meetings/presentations and feelings of being unappreciated can cause employees to avoid going into work. Personal stress (outside of work) can lead to absenteeism.
- Childcare and eldercare - Employees may be forced to miss work in order to stay home and take care of a child/elder when normal arrangements have fallen through (for example, a sick caregiver or a snow day at school) or if a child/elder is sick.
- Depression - According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the leading cause of absenteeism in the United States is depression. Depression can lead to substance abuse if people turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate their pain or anxiety.
- Disengagement - Employees who are not committed to their jobs, co-workers and/or the company are more likely to miss work simply because they have no motivation to go.
- illness - illness and medical appointments are the most commonly reported reasons for missing work (though not always the actual reason). Not surprisingly, each year during the cold and flu season, there is a dramatic spike in absenteeism rates for both full-time and part-time employees.
- Injuries - Accidents can occur on the job or outside of work, resulting in absences. In addition to acute injuries, chronic injuries such as back and neck problems are a common cause of absenteeism.
- Job hunting - Employees may call in sick to attend a job interview, visit with a head-hunter or work on their resumes/CVs.
- Partial shifts - Arriving late, leaving early and taking longer breaks than allowed are considered forms of absenteeism and can affect productivity and workplace morale.
- Bereavement - Dealing with bereavement isn’t easy, and work will be the last thing on the mind of the affected. Absence from work may be particularly longer if the death was sudden. The employee will need to grieve and may have a lot of legal matters to sort out.
- Mental health problems - This is of course a problem in its own right, and you must strive to make your workplace an environment in which mental health issues are discussed and supported.
These causes affect the economy of any countries. So, it’s important, we must know about major causes of employee absenteeism.
Forbes | Rmagazine | HSpeed. | Business | Investopedia | Amp |
Bull | Bull | Bull | ill | Bull | Bur |
Bur | Bur | Bur | Injurie | Bur | Dis |
Care | Care | Care | Bur | Care | ill |
Dep | Dep | MPH | Care | Dep | Care |
Dis | Dis | Bereave |
| Dis | Injurie |
ill | ill | ill |
| ill | Dep |
Injurie | Injurie |
|
| Injurie |
|
Job | Job |
|
| Job |
|
Shift | Shift |
|
| Shift |
|
Data represented by this table
Codes
- Bull: Bullying and harassment
- Bur: Burnout, stress and low morale
- Care: Childcare and eldercare
- Dep: Depression
- Dis: Disengagement
- ill: illness
- Injurie: Injuries
- Job: Job hunting
- Shift: Partial shifts
- MPH: Mental Health Problem
- Bereave: Bereavement
PERCENTAGE TABLE
CAUSES | PERCENTAGE* |
Bull | 9% |
Bur | 14% |
Care | 14% |
Dep | 9% |
Dis | 9% |
ill | 14% |
Injurie | 12% |
Job | 6% |
Shift | 6% |
MHP | 3% |
Bereave | 3% |
*% = (Numbers of each item/ sum of total number of items) X100
RESULTS
Though this percentage table; Burnout, stress and low morale; Childcare and eldercare; illness & Injuries are major causes of employee absenteeism.
CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS
Employee Absenteeism is most dangerous for employees as well as employers because It create misunderstanding between employers & employees. Also, Goodwill of organization affect by employee absenteeism because organization doesn’t perform well in economy.
- Employers can make clear leave policies for employees.
- Employers can offer flexible hours to employee for job.
- Employers can provide employee wellness programs to employees.
REFRENCES
Article, Blog, Magazine & Website Name | Website Links |
Forbes | The Causes and Costs of Absenteeism in The Workplace (forbes.com) |
Rmagazine | |
HIGHSPEED TRAINING HUB | Absenteeism in the Workplace | Causes & Ways to Manage it (highspeedtraining.co.uk) |
Business.com | How to Prevent Excessive Employee Absenteeism - business.com |
Investopedia | |
Culture AMP | 4 reasons for employee absenteeism (and how to fix them) - Culture Amp Blog |