In our experience of working with many organisations across different industry sectors and geographies, the term 'Absence Management' more often than not simply refers to a collection of administrative processes aimed at ensuring that instances of absence are correctly recorded – predominantly for HR and payroll purposes. And in cases where absence is being abused, that appropriate disciplinary action and procedures are followed. But it often stops there. At best, more forward thinking organisations use that information to try and identify the root causes of absence, in an attempt to reduce the overall rates of absence for their organisations. Often however, those efforts alone will often only yield marginal improvements in overall absence rates.
This brief Infogencer Management Guide provides an executive summary of the key themes which, in our view, must be considered.