Possible occurrences of absenteeism: Absenteeism may decrease productivity because employer has to carry an extra work load or support new or replacement staff. Employers may also be required to train and orientate new or replacement workers. Consequently, staff morale and employee service may suffer. In terms of financial costs, payment of overtime may result. Cost of self-insured income protection plans must be borne plus the wages costs of replacement employees. I

During our class presentation, we stated our position that employees should not go to work when they are sick. Employees who bring their sickness to work might pose potential problem such as infecting their co-workers and will most likely not be as effective or productive in their work. Furthermore, the employer has to pay for more inefficient workdays and a potential exponential multiplication of this cost by greater numbers of employees being affected by ill health and lost productivity. More employers and HR professionals are now realizing that being present at work while employees are sick is another face to the issue of absenteeism that is a very important one, and one that has been largely ignored until now (Braun Consulting News).

Employers’ coping strategies: Employers may help employees to cope with their stress by granting paid or non-paid days off. This enables employees to find strategies to cope with their stress. It may include exercising, seeking therapy or networking. Employers, on the other hand, may implement stress management programs such as alternative work arrangements, compress work week, job sharing, and telecommuting provide employees with greater control over when and where they work. Employers should follow Hewlett-Packard’s footstep by letting employees to have personal goals such as weigh loss, exercise, take time “mental-day off” with their family as well as job goals. Another strategy is Employees Assistance Programs (EPAs), currently being implemented in over half U.S. organizations with 50 or more employees and have been found to consistently reduce absenteeism, health care costs, and disciplinary action

Reasons for absenteeism: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of all the expenses related to absence, unscheduled time off has the biggest impact on productivity, profitability and morale. Companies lose approximately 2.8 million per workdays each year because of employee’s injuries and illness. CCH Incorporated, a company that produces electronic and print products for the tax, legal, securities, insurance, human resources, health care, and small business markets, had to pay for unscheduled absenteeism up to an average of $602 per employee, per year. This cost does not include indirect costs such as overtime pay for other employees, hiring temps, missed deadlines, lost sales, sinking morale, and lower productivity. Ind

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