Absence management hindered by poor record-keeping systems

The ability of employers to manage absence is being hampered by ineffective record-keeping systems, according to research by Personnel Today's sister publication Employment Review.

The survey of 195 employers - covering a combined workforce of almost 900,000 people - showed that 21% reported problems with recording absences.

Difficulties they came up against included line managers' unwillingness or inability to manage absence in accordance with organisational policies and procedures absences that were reported late with incomplete details, or not reported at all and inconsistencies in reporting between an organisation's departments, businesses and locations.

Line managers' lack of effective involvement in absence management was cited as the single biggest hindrance by 40% of employers.

For more information, see the Yardstick section in next week's issue of Personnel Today on 3 June.