Absence management

Absence management is the process of managing employees' absences from work and making sure that their absence does not negatively affect their performance or the organization's productivity. It involves implementing an absence management policy, monitoring employee attendance patterns and taking action where necessary.

According to the definition of absence management it should include guidelines for staff regarding when they are allowed to take time off work, how much notice they must give before doing so, and what steps they should take if they have a change in health status which could affect their attendance at work (e.g., pregnancy). The policy should also include procedures for dealing with unauthorized absences or those that exceed specified limits (e.g., excessive sickness absence). 

Before you set out to create an absence management policy, it's important to define the problem. What is your organization trying to achieve? Are there employees who are repeatedly taking extended periods of time off work, or are some of your employees using up their holiday entitlement at an alarming rate?

Once you have defined the problem, it's time to start thinking about solutions. To do this effectively, first set some goals that will help inform and guide your policy.

Absence management is a strategy designed to reduce the costs of absenteeism and increase productivity. It's a simple idea: if you can predict when employees are going to be absent, you can put a preventative plan into place. This allows you to adjust your workforce accordingly and minimize disruptions for the business.

Moreover, implementing management of absence has been found to improve employee satisfaction — by allowing them more flexibility in their work schedule and minimizing the chances that they'll be stuck taking on extra work because someone was out sick or on vacation.