Absence Management

							Developing a Good Attendance
      Support Program




         Liz R. Scott PhD & Kelly Isaacs, B.H.K., C.K.
         lscott@orgsoln.com & kisaacs@orgsoln.com
                     www.orgsoln.com
                  Agenda
• Attendance Enhancement defined
• Research
• How successful programs are developed
• Work should not be the disposable variable –
  combating the media messages
• Core components of successful programs
• Measuring results and fine tuning
   What is Attendance Enhancement?




The process of promoting regular attendance at work.
             Attendance

• Attendance Enhancement encompasses strategies
  to reduce all absences

• Includes casual absence 1, 2, 3 days

• Attendance Enhancement could also be called
  Absence Management, Attendance Monitoring, etc.
         Canadian Labour Force Survey
• Estimates indicate that both incidence and number of
  days lost for personal reasons
  (illness/disability/family/personal days) have shown a
  rising trend since 1997.
• Several factors have contributed: aging workforce,
  increased women in the workplace (mothers with young
  children), high worker stress, generous sick and family
  related leave benefits.
Statistics Canada, Work Absence Rates 2008
Absences related to Illness or Disability
Canadian Average lost days per worker 2008 =
 7.9 days
Nova Scotia / Quebec > 9.0 days lost
Defining Short Term Disability vs. Long Term
 Disability parameters
WCB
                Average Days Lost per Worker

                                 Production


                          Primary Industries

Trades, Transportation & Equipment Operators


                             Sales & Service


                      Social & Public Sector

                             Health Services


          Business, Finance & Administrative

                                               0   2   4     6     8     10     12      14




                                                           Source - Statistics Canada
StatsCan – Government of Canada
   •   Data from 2002
   •   Reviewed absences
   •   ? Age, ? Health, ? Union, ? Pay, ? Job security

       Having disability coverage  1.7 times likelihood to be
       absent

       Job security directly linked to absences.

       Permanent employees had 1.6 times more likelihood

       Stress resulted in 2.4 times more likely to be off
        How Much is it Costing the Company?

• Estimate number of days – present but not
  functioning
• Estimate number of days – off work on “sick
  leave”
• Estimate number of days – off work on “short
  term disability”
• Multiply by the average daily wage?
Research to Reality

• Survey of 487 employers states absence
  management is one of top 3 priorities (Personnel
  Today, 2005)

• Persistent levels of absence cost individual
  organizations and the economy, adversely affecting
  efficiency, morale, & productivity (virtualhr, 2007)
          When Does Absence
          Become A Disability?
• Over 3 days, over 5 days, after sick leave expires????

• Once a disability has been medically
  documented???

• Surgery??

• Hospitalization?
       Issues That Influence Absence


        Work/Non-    Organizational
        work Links      Factors


 Medical
                                Family
Providers     Employee          Issues
               Health

                           Legislation
  Economy       Plan
               Design
The Impact of Media
         Who’s watching you?

• Employers are tracking sick days and other
  excuses for not coming to the office.
                   The Absence Bug
                         A treatable viral illness

• Absenteeism from work may be viewed as a viral infection which
  adversely affects, and is affected by, the overall health of the
  organizational system.
• In order to develop an effective treatment for this bug, is essential
  that the underlying causes of the condition are highlighted, and their
  effects on the health of the organization be explored.
• Based on studies into employee absenteeism it is argued that to
  effectively treat infections which cause and are caused by employee
  absence, organizations must adopt an approach which is holistic and
  systemic.
• To foster the creation of more healthy work organizations which are
  well placed to deal effectively with the challenges presented by
  hostile and turbulent operating environments.


                                         McHugh, 2002 Journal of Managerial Psychology
How Should Programs
  Be Developed?
Time to assess your company
  Not All Workplaces are the Same


• Internal needs and complexities

• Requires constant effort

• Listen to what is ‘not being said’

• Predict the next arising trend
Attendance Management
 Strategy Development
      The Impact of Organizations




Corporate Culture is very important
Partnership Process in Development &
           Communication

• Essential element

• Clarifies needs and concerns

• Objective is fair for all

• Perception of ‘value’ central to success
          Research to Reality

What we know due to case law;

• Policy is important
• Communication of the policy is even more important
• Consistent application of the policy is essential
• Employers have the opportunity to ask for sufficient
  objective medical documentation
• There will always be ‘special cases’
                    Core Components
 Senior Management Commitment
 Union buy-in (if unionized)
 Integrated Policies and Procedures
 Clear Roles and Responsibilities
 Tools for Supervisors
 Education / orientation
 Consistent application
 Data collection & Evaluation
Important Program Components
  • Analyze, prevent, monitor & manage

  • Include all key areas;

      –   Attendance Enhancement
      –   Short Term Disability
      –   Workplace Safety and Insurance
      –   Early and Safe Return to Work

  • Do not medicalize absence

  • Emphasize work is not the disposable variable
Consider Legislative Obligations
  1.   Human Rights Code
        •   Duty to accommodate

  2.   Privacy Legislation

  3.   Workplace Safety & Insurance Act
        –   Duty to co-operate
        –   Duty to accommodate
        –   Re-employment obligation
        –   Labour market re-entry program

  4.   Employment Standards Act
Policy should be based on the following..

• Employees are the most important asset a company
  has

• Work is central to an employee’s life (Harder, 2003)

• Organizational Health = Corporation health &
  Employee health (Scott, 2003)

• A superior product / service relies on a company’s
  employees
            Attendance Management

1.   Define your policy

2.   What happens when an employee is going to be
     absent from work?

3.   Do you record their reasons - work-related, non-
     work related, personal leave?
                                           cont’d….
               Attendance Management

4.   When does the requirement to meet with the Manager
     begin?

5.   Is there a referral for medical concerns? (need to
     determine the impact on the ability)

6.   If non medical, then what is your system?
        Setting the Parameters –
    Thresholds for Excessive Absence

•   Consistency is essential
•   What is the workplace average? – are they above it?
•   What are the steps?
•   How are people identified?
•   What is the industry average?
         Legality of Taking Action
• Are they meeting the parameters of the employment
  contract?

• Do you have a policy?

• Has the policy been communicated?

• Have you anticipated the response?
How the health of the organization will
          impact outcomes
           Basic Mental Health Needs
                in the Workplace
• Respect & appreciation
• Being heard and listened to
• Sense of self-worth
• Sense of belonging to a meaningful and supportive work
  group
• Learning and challenge
• Role clarity

     Shain, M. Best Advice on Stress Risk Management in the Workplace
Mental Health Commission of Canada
   • 46% of Canadians think the term “mental illness” is used as
     an excuse for poor behaviour and personal failings
   • 1/5 Canadians will experience mental illness this year
   • 500,000 Canadians are absent from work due to psychiatric
     illness
   • 51 billion estimated cost of mental illness to the Canadian
     economy in health care and lost productivity
   • World Health Organization predicts by 2020 mental health
     will be second leading cause of disability worldwide
      Understanding Health at Work
                Psychsocial
              Work environment


              Healthy work
              environment
  Physical                       Individual
   Work                            Health
environment                       practices
  Work Factors That Threaten
         Well-Being
• Work overload and time pressures
• Lack of influence over day-to-day work
• Lack of training
• Poor communication - ambiguity
• Too little or too much responsibility
• Lack of status rewards
• Discrimination / harassment
• Role overload
             Shain,M. Best Advice on Stress Risk Management in the Workplace
Understanding Health at Work

      High Job     Low Job          Home           Low Social
      Pressure     Control          Stress         Support



                                                                =



Increased Risk to Mental and Physical Health
  Illness, injury, infection, anxiety, depression, substance abuse
  Sociobiological Translation

A mechanism by which human beings receive
 messages about the social environment and
 convert these messages into biological signals
 that trigger the processes of disease development
 or health promotion.




                                        Tarlov, 1996
         Impact of The Organization on Employee Health

                      3x Heart Problems


    2x Substance                                3x Back Pains
       Abuse


                         High Effort/
                         Low Reward
2x -3x Injuries                                        5x Certain Cancers
                              +

                        High Demand/
                         Low Control

2x -3x Infections                                   2x - 3x Conflicts



                        2x - 3x Mental
                       Health Problems
                              Shain, M. (2000) NQI - A Healthy Workplace
           Important Learnings…
• Work-life balance can be affected by workplace
  responses
• How work is managed and how decisions are made
  within an organization is an important variable
• Accountability and infrastructure support are essential
• Real benefits accrue to organizations who make a
  commitment
      The Underlying Framework

             Workplace Necessities


          Trust                       Fairness




Purpose
                                     Programs
              The Front Line
Train Managers to be more supportive;

• Gallop (2000) “a study of two million employees at 700 companies
  found employee productivity was determined by their relationship
  with their supervisor”
• University of Texas (1999) “a survey of contractors found profits
  went up when supervisors were given people skills and taught to
  worry about employee morale”
• University of Southern California (1995) “companies that share
  power with employees consistently outperform those that don’t”
Trust / Respect
     An understanding attitude
     toward employees and their
     multiple demands (much
     healthier than denying the
     existence of family and family
     obligation)

     Paid leave bank, opportunity
     for flex time, compressed
     workweek, telecommuting
Fairness

Two Components:

• Distributive - who gets what, and
  when

• Procedural - the process through
  which decisions are made
Sense of Purpose

• Understanding of the vision,
  mission and values

• Understanding of how an
  individual contributes to the
  achievement of the vision,
  mission and values
Programs

   • Training and education
   • Health and Wellness
   • Safety / Disability
     Management
   • Eldercare / Childcare
   • Ergonomic assistance / work
     redesign
   • Monitor workloads
        Read the following

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Measuring Results & Fine Tuning

  • Measure success against the goals and
    objectives

  • Quantify success

  • Put a dollar value on the savings
Old Management Approach!
                   Step One…
• Interviews performed on site to gain insight and input
  from specific functional areas and union groups

• Process built with the input of a specifically assembled
  Team

• Objective – Development of Absence Management
  Program consistent with evidence based best practice
  and culture.
               Parameters
• Managers own the employee relationship and should
  feel comfortable in the Absence Management
  process and the facilitation of return to work

• Intervention on all claims if the employee indicates
  due to illness / disability to ensure the employee
  obtains appropriate health care, to attend work
  regularly

• Supervisors / Managers trained to deal with non
  disability related absences
              Programs

• Design programs to assist employees in
  making the right choices

• Shift focus to Wellness (fitness)

• Lunch and learns

• Newsletters
       What Makes It Work?
• Process configured to meet specific needs /
  environment
• Early intervention with appropriate triage and
  accurate early information
• Constant communication that is timely and effective -
  with all stakeholders
• Prompt return to work
• Outcome focus with measurement and
  communication of results
             Impact

• Decreased cost!

• Decreased number of days lost!

• Decreased duration of modified duties!

• Improved Manager and Employee
  satisfaction!
Early Results of a New Attendance
      Management Program
     Early Results of the Program
Decrease in the total absence days

Decrease in the absence percentage

From 43.1% in July to 25.5% in January!
     Early Results of the Program
Including:

Calls to the absence line reduced from up to 7 calls/day
  to 2-3/week!

Supervisor coaching meetings reduced from 25/month
  to 1/month!
                        The Bigger Picture
                                    Workplace Events


              Absence           Early Intervention        Disability Management
             Management


Employee           Prevention                        Medical                    Return to Work
                                      Adjudication                Rehab.
Hired              Programs                           Mgt.
(promises made)



                                                                                            Time


                                       Work          Treatment         Work        Return
         Healthy      Symptoms
                                     Absences        & Recovery        Trials     To Work



                                 Employee Events
SUCCESSFUL ABSENCE MANAGEMENT
          Components

• Program Design
• Defined Policy and Procedures
• Education and Training for
  Employees and Supervisors
• Consistent Application
• Measurement of Results
                                                                              Q& A
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?                                    Liz R. Scott PhD & Kelly Isaacs
                               lscott@orgsoln.com& kisaacs@orgsoln.com