Managing absence can be almost as challenging as managing performance. Poor attendance, like poor employee performance is often another symptom of a poor working environment.  Employers can make this task significantly less demanding by creating an appropriate working environment.

As with performance management therefore, the following are all positive factors likely to encourage attendance:

• a safe environment;
• interesting and challenging but not overly stressful; work;
• recognition;
• a good work-life balance;
• flexible working arrangments
• learning and development opportunities;
• career prospects;
• properly trained managers; and
• fair/competitive remuneration.

Of course it may not be practicable to provide all or even most of these, but every organisation will have a degree of control over its working environment and the challenge for senior management is to maximise the realisation of as many of these opportunities as possible.

However, even when this is achieved, there will be some employees whose attendance for whatever reason is not satisfactory. In these circumstances, early investigation is essential. Sometimes of course, the appropriate course of action will simply be to provide care and support backed up by a sensible and sensitive return to work plan.

However, some absence problems (particularly those where the cause lies in the relationship between the employee and the job) like those of poor performance, if left alone simply get worse. Often informal, early and sensible management intervention will resolve the situation. Return to work interviews to ensure the employee knows he or she has been missed - may suffice, but managers must also be prepared to adopt a more formal approach - an attendance improvement plan - in order to deal with the situation.

Ultimately, if the employee cannot sufficiently improve their attendance, dismissal may have to be considered (even if the absence is entirely genuine). Whilst obviously a last resort, it is far more preferable than allowing the situation to develop such that it has a significant detrimental effect on other staff.

Our track record

1985-89 - Advising Electricity companies on the application of national procedures

1989-97 - Advising line managers on the application of company procedures

1994 - Development and implementation of absence management programme for new Retail business - 700 staff nationwide (atrade unionised environment)

1996 -  Development and implementation of absence management programme for 500 Customer Services Operatives in NE England (trade unionised environment)

1998-04 - Coaching line managers on the application of company procedures in a blue chip IT Services company