There
has been a dramatic increase in the number of employees absent from work
without good reason, according to research.
A
poll of 975 employers and 2,127 employees by law firm Peninsula
reveals that 85 per cent of businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to
certify genuine reasons for absence.
Peter
Done, managing director of Peninsula,
said employers need to adopt strict policies for absence and disciplinary
procedures for those who have a tendency to be absent without cause.
However,
he added, employers must be wary that if disciplinary procedures are to be
implemented, they must be promoted to the employees as a measure to combat
skiving and pose no threat to an employees position within the company.
“Otherwise
an employer may find that they are confronted with a more damaging scenario
where an employee’s motivation level decreases and the total efficiency of a
business is more affected by motivation than workers simply ‘skiving’,” said Done.
“It
is critical that employers delicately implement rules and procedures, which
challenge and try to eliminate ‘skivers’ from work rather than simply trying to
catch workers out,” he said.
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