Absenteeism - the effect of the fear factor?

Fascinating research issue by the CIPD today sheds light on an important topic in HR management - absenteeism…

Reported in the Times, the CIPD Absence Management Survey shows the latest findings of research into the extent and causes of workplace absenteeism.

The effects of the recession are clear to see. Many of the firms surveyed have made redundancies during the perid surveyed and some admit that employee attendance records were one factor they took into account in deciding who should leave. The “fear factor” seems to be at work too. Employees, fearful of blemishing their record, are taking fewer days off sick. The average days absent in the private sector has fallen from 7.2 days per year in 2007 to 6.4.

The report also goes on to make some comparisons between absenteeism in the private sector compared with the public sector (where the average is over 3 days more per year).

Very useful information for teachers and students when it comes to considering absenteeism as part of the people management topics.