1. Reducing Absence: a Viewpoint
Optimum performance requires people to be present at their place of work
Absence has always been a concern of employers
Methods for reducing absence have frequently focused on disciplinary or punitive measures
Companies are not looking at promoting attendance and rehabilitating employees

2. Absence Trends (1 of 2)
CIPD 2003 – 9 days absence per employee per year
This is a reduction on previous year
CBI 2003 – 6.8 days lost per person per year

3. Absence Trends (2 of 2) Absence is higher in larger organisations
Public sector absence is usually higher than that in private sector
Some industrial sectors report higher absence than others

4. Cost of Absence
CIPD Survey – organisations felt absence to be a considerable cost but less than half measured the cost
Measurement of cost difficult – needs to include direct and indirect costs
Employment Studies Inst – suggest that there is virtually no robust data on direct and indirect costs of absence

5. Long Term Sickness Costs
Bevan reports that long-term sickness costs account for between 30 and 70% of absence costs
Companies are not that equipped to measure this accurately

6. Growing Importance of Absence
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) changes in 1994 – burden passed to employer
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 – employers need to provide reasonable adjustments to enable disabled (including long-term sick) to continue in employment

7. Causes of Absence Minor illnesses Back pain for manual workers
Stress for non-manual workers

8. Model of Attendance
Figure 15.1  The Rhodes and Steers process model of attendance (Source: S. Rhodes and R. Steers (1990) Managing Employee Absenteeism, Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley.)

9. Managing for Attendance
Policies for managing absence
Need for consistency in the construction and implementation of absence management policies
Line Managers must feel some ownership of policy and procedures

10. Attendance Management Policies
Causes of absence
Mix of measures to reduce risk of ill health
Measures intended to reduce spells of absence
Mix of methods to discourage absence and positively encourage attendance
How each will operate for long-term and short-term absences

11. The ALIEDIM Process Assess the absence problem
Locate the absence problem
Identify and prioritise absence causes
Evaluate the current absence control methods
Design the absence control programme
Implement the absence control programme
Monitor the effectiveness of the absence control programme
(Huczynski & Fitzpatrick, 1989)

12. Scoring Absence
Figure 15.2  The Bradford factor formula for scoring absence (Note: The score is usually calculated over a year.)

13. Absence Procedures (1 of 3)
Maintaining accurate records
Implementing absence review and trigger points
Setting absence targets and benchmarks
Providing training and support to line managers

14. Absence Procedures (2 of 3)
Clearly communicated absence notification procedures
Analysis of absence data
Ongoing contact during absence
Return to work interviews

15. Absence Procedures (3 of 3)
Formal absence reviews
Disciplinary procedures
Communicating absence levels and performance assessments
Attendance bonus and reward schemes
Changes to work and work organisation
Occupational health and support

16. Absence Targets
One approach is to tie absence targets to managers performance review and performance payments
Targets need to be carefully used so as not to give the impression that absence is not allowed

17. Ongoing Contact During Absence
Reduces length of absence
Demonstrates to employee organisational interest
Maintain employee motivation
Can keep them up to date

18. Return to Work Interviews
Welcome the employee back
Update them on recent events
Check employee well enough to resume duties
Assess any further organisational support required
Reinforce attendance requirements
Review employee’s absence record

19. Use of Disciplinary Procedures (1 of 2)
There are occasions when someone is too ill to work and has to be dismissed
Dismissing someone who is unable to work because of ill health is potentially fair
A warning must be given that dismissal may occur if employee does not return to work
Consultation must take place ahead of time to determine a return in foreseeable future

20. Use of Disciplinary Procedures (2 of 2)
Act on medical advice
Normally refrain form dismissing sick employee for at least 6 months
No dismissal should occur if employee falls under definition of ‘disabled’. Dismissal once employer is satisfied that no reasonable adjustments can be made

21. Persistently Short Periods of Absence
Is there a genuine underlying medical reason?
Review and where necessary instigate disciplinary action

22. Summary Employee absence incurs costs and lost performance
Major cause of short-term absence is minor illnesses
Long-term absence – back pain and stress
Need to understand causes of absence to be able to remedy them
Attendance management policies can include a whole range of procedures to measure, record, minimise absences

23. Focus on Skills III: Performance Appraisal
Not a precise measurement
A subjective assessment is made
History of being damned for its ineffectiveness
People seek information on how they are doing
Is difficult to do and frequently done badly
When done well can be invaluable to the business

24. Contrasting Approaches
Motivation of management control
Motivation of self development

25. The Management Control Approach
Is likely to engender:
Conflictual behaviour and attitudes
Negotiated modifications to schemes
Tight bureaucratic controls
Bland, safe statements in appraisal process
Little impact on actual performance
Reduced openness, trust and initiative

26. The Development Approach
Develops co-operative behaviour
Confronts issues, seeking resolutions
Does not work well with bureaucratic control
Produces searching analysis directly affecting performance
Requires high trust

27. Problems For Those Conducting Appraisals
Prejudice
Insufficient knowledge of appraisees
The halo effect
Context

28. Problems For Both Appraisees & Appraisers
Paperwork
Formality

29. Causes of Failure Outcomes are ignored
Everyone is ‘just above average’
Appraising the wrong features

30. Appraisal Interview Style
Problem solving style
Tell and sell
Tell and listen

31. Appraisal Interview Sequence
Preparation
Reception
Setting

32. Appraisal Interview Structure (1 of 2)
Figure III.1  Structure for a performance appraisal interview

33. Appraisal Interview Structure (2 of 2)
Figure III.1  Structure for a performance appraisal interview

34. Making Appraisal Work
Ensure all those involved are clear about what system is for
Visible ownership by senior and line management
Openness
Participation and involvement
Administered to cause few problems
Supported by follow up action

35. Summary (1 of 2) Performance appraisal has a poor track record
Performance appraisal has considerable potential when done well
Several problems including prejudice, halo effect, problems of context
Three approaches to the appraisal interview

36. Summary (2 of 2)
Features of the appraisal interview – opening, factual review, appraisee’s views on performance, appraiser’s views, problem solving, objective setting
Follow up important
Training is essential