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With recent CBI research finding that the UK economy lost 21 million days due to employee sickness during 2006, business owners and managers are being urged to put staff well-being at the core of their business strategy.
"The average UK employee taking seven days’ sick leave a year can have a significant impact on an organisation’s productivity, particularly a small business where one person being absent can cause a significant dip in resources and subsequent profits," said David Robertson, chief executive of employment experts Bibby Financial Services.
"The phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’ comes to mind. Businesses that review staff well-being and take steps to provide a happy, healthy and positive working environment are less likely to find themselves with high absenteeism levels and a depleted bottom line."
Mr Robertson offers the following tips to help owners and managers build a positive working environment:
- Communicate – Open and regular communication and feedback creates a positive, supportive environment where employees feel able to share their thoughts and concerns and gain a sense of involvement in the business.
- Trust staff – By creating a culture of trust, employees feel empowered and confident to make decisions. Accept that mistakes are a part of business life and avoid a blame culture by acknowledging this.
- Build skills – Review staff development procedures and training provisions. Encouraging employees at all levels to learn new skills will keep them interested, motivated and build morale.
- Create careers – Work with employees to identify their career path and plan their progression within the business. If employees are clear about where they are heading, they will be less likely to look elsewhere or lose enthusiasm for their role.
- Be flexible – Consider how flexible working practices could be implemented in your business. Employees with families are less likely to take time off and could potentially stay longer with a company that takes family and personal needs into account.
- Provide incentives – Review incentive schemes and introduce a programme to reward employees for hard work and commitment. This will motivate them to do well, increasing productivity.
- Celebrate success – Make all employees aware of any successes within the company. Praising those responsible gives employees a greater sense of self worth and achievement and makes them feel part of the team.
- Take time out – Social events enable employees to get together in a less formal setting to build team spirit. Also consider introducing a longer lunch hour or early leaving time on Friday.
"While staff absenteeism is undoubtedly a challenge and sometimes beyond the control of the owner or manager in question, by creating a healthy and positive working environment, employees are less likely to take days off sick when they should be in the office," concluded Mr Robertson.
"Even minimising staff absenteeism levels by a few days a year could have a major impact on business productivity, particularly for smaller business with fewer members of staff."
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