Absenteeism and Tardiness in the Workplace

Absenteeism and Tardiness in the Workplace

In today’s tough economic times, managers are faced with reducing cost in order to compete with the ever more slim-lined business models of the world. One, not easy to control area of cost cutting, often left to be faced by management alone is absenteeism. Absenteeism is one of the world’s oldest and most costly issues that a business can face yet there has been little evidence to show the ability to control this ever growing issue.

Absenteeism can be a tedious task for managers to face; costing the company or department multiple days of salary in direct and indirect costs associated an employee’s inability to be present for work. There are an unlimited number of reasons that an employee can provide for his or her absenteeism – some under the employees direct discretion, others such as illness or emergency not under the control of the company or the employee.

As companies and managers around the world continue to tackle this ever growing issue many western companies have begun to implement strategies to combat the symptoms of lost productivity caused by absenteeism, however, even within western cultures, these tactics don’t work as planned. Many factors play a role; however, some companies are gaining success from various tactics used to combat absenteeism and tardiness. In a world full of different motivations and cultural differences, it can be difficult for companies to have a full success; however, with careful planning and cultural understanding companies can begin to battle against this costly crisis in the