Employee absences can be a real drain for organisations. Not only do absences cost money but long term absence can have a lasting impact on employee workloads. The number of Employees taking time off work due to stress is becoming ever more prominent within all companies.
A survey carried out by CIPD shows the eighteen most common causes of stress at work. With Two-fifths of the organisations surveyed reporting an increase in stress-related absence over the past year. Workload was the highest common cause of stress within all sectors but affected public and private sector organisations the most. Employers within the manufacturing and production industry found that management style and issues at home were equally to blame for the high number of stress related absences. Non-profit organisations found that thirty seven percent of employees were stressed due to having in-work relationships. Poorly handled organisational changes had a higher effect on public sector organisations than all others.
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Some cases of employee absence, due to stress, could easily be avoided. Setting up procedures in the workplace to assist employees effectively manage their workload, could help massively reduce employee absence rates. Communicating organisational change (e.g. office moves, department shake ups) to employees at the earliest opportunity helps them to plan ahead, instead of last minute surprises which can often lead to stress. Allowing employees to work flexible hours when needed is one of the easiest ways to reduce absence rates and improve employee morale.
Office romances can often cause problems for organisations when it comes to absences. Relationships within the workplace that end badly often see the employees involved having to take time off work due to emotional stress or because they want to avoid their colleagues. Some organisations include a workplace romance policy into their company guidelines. The policy is often introduced to deter employee romances with work colleagues as businesses see them as a major disruption to the workplace.