Whilst absence is a problem for any business, employees turning up when they are ill and not fit for work can be an even bigger problem.

There is nothing worse than the “office bug” passed around from one member of the team to the next. You can get to a point where you wonder if anyone is healthy.

Whilst it is impossible to avoid germs all together, encouraging employees to stay at home when they have something contagious is kinder for everyone.

Your employee may feel they are helping, or doing you a favour, by being at work. In fact, they are not helping themselves. Resting and giving themselves chance to recover is far more likely to be beneficial for them – and they are likely to recover more quickly. Coming back too soon, or not having time off, can lengthen the recovery process, and may mean enforced longer absence.

Productivity is inevitably effected when you don’t feel well. Struggling to deliver what is expected can put additional pressure on other members of the team. This affects morale and team spirit, as well as the already mentioned health problems.

When looking at this problem, it is worth looking at:

  • Your employees’ holiday records. Make sure all of your team take their full holiday entitlement.
  • The hours your team are working. Are there any workaholics? Working long hours, and not taking a break is not effective. In fact, it should be ringing alarm bells for you. Why is your employee needing to work long hours? Are they out of their depth? Is there a problem?

As a manager, it is your role to set expectations.

  • Make it clear to your team that you don’t expect them to work excessive hours. Encourage them to be at home when they don’t feel well – and don’t make them feel bad about taking the time they need to recover.
  • As part of developing your new managers, make sure they have the right management training to handle this. Showing their team that they care about their well-being is an essential part of being a good manager.

Managing time is a core module of our management training programme. Leading by example is essential, so not working extended hours all the time as a manager is a powerful message for the team.

If you would like help with management training for your business, please contact us on 01256 328 428 or fill out the form below.