HR U Can Trust Blog

Four strategies for reducing absenteeism
 

A few years ago Forbes reported that U.S. workforce illness from sick days to worker's compensation is costing the economy $576B annually. Simply put, your staff are calling in sick and it’s having a severe impact on your bottom line. If you want to mitigate the impact, it’s time to think about how you can nip the problem in the bud.

Now of course, it’s important to note that managing absenteeism isn’t about trying to ensure that every single employee is always present and correct. Even with the best people management policies and procedures, it’s highly likely that you’ll still have to pick up the phone now and again and be told that an important member of your team can’t make it into the office today.

However, there are certain things that you can do to make sure that the occasional absence doesn’t spiral out of control and become a real problem for your business. Here, we’re going to outline some proven strategies that you can put into action.
Clearly outline your expectations
If you don’t already have an absence policy, then this needs to be a key priority. You can’t expect staff to follow your guidelines, if they don’t even exist! A good policy will outline arrangements for calling in sick, identify trigger points that indicate that absence has reached an unacceptable level, and will be clearly communicated to all staff.

Of course, your policy won’t be worth the paper it’s written on if it doesn’t become part of the way you do business on a daily basis. Line managers need to be confident with putting it into action. It’s vital that the rules are applied to everyone. If you have staff members with a disability, then there will be extra considerations that need to be made. For help with complex issues, speak with an HR consultant about your circumstances.
Always hold return-to-work discussions
After any period of absence, whether it’s three days or three months, there should be a return-to-work discussion between the individual and the line manager. It’s important that you establish the reason for the absence, assess what you might be able to do to support that person back into work, and follow the procedures outlined in your policy.

Even when schedules are busy, make sure that these conversations are always marked into the diary. When they’re carried out correctly, they can help you prevent a whole load of potential issues.

Think about how you can make reasonable adjustments to get staff back into their roles

Coming back to work after a period of absence can be daunting. What can you do to make the process more manageable? It might be that you can slightly alter roles and responsibilities so that you can encourage long-term absentees to come back to their jobs and ease themselves back into routine.

In practical terms, you could agree to shorter working hours for the first couple of weeks, or you could ensure that the staff member has a reduced workload. If you’re unsure about what you could do, talk to the individual in question to establish a way forward that will help them.
Take a flexible approach to managing the rota

It’s important to recognize that staff have a life outside of your business. They may want to attend a parents’ evening, go see their favorite band, or have to take care of serious matters such as an ill family member. If they’re forced to choose between missing out and calling in sick, then you aren’t always going to win.

Ask yourself whether it would be feasible, from an operational point of view, to add some flexibility into how working schedules are managed. From time to time, could you allow staff to swap shifts or catch up with their work later in the week? As long as you have firm boundaries in place, this kind of approach could help you to minimize problems.

If absence is an issue in your business, then the bad news is that you probably can’t make improvements overnight. You need a considered and careful approach, and it’ll certainly be a learning curve. But when you get it right, the benefits will be huge.

Do you want to discuss your challenges with a professional, and walk away with a manageable action plan so you know exactly what you need to do? Contact us today.

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Halloween Tips for Business Owners

 

 

 

 

 

It’s quickly approaching that time of year when we start to get questions coming in about Halloween office parties. What are appropriate costume choices and how to inject a little fun and joviality into the workplace without letting things get out of hand.

 

We used to make do with bobbing for apples and perhaps a poorly made costume crafted out of a discarded bed sheet. Today however, it’s big business. And whether you think of it as a trick to force us to part with our hard-earned cash, or a little treat to lessen the blow of the darker nights and colder days, there are certain things that you need to consider as an employer.

 

First of all, don’t blow things out of proportion. If you’re the boss, then you probably shouldn’t be spending your time worrying about who’s going to bring the caramel apples to the lunchtime party, or whether you’ve got the right equipment to organize a pumpkin carving competition. By all means, it’s fine to allow your staff to enjoy some lighthearted fun, but delegate the smaller details so you can focus on more strategic matters.

 

However, it’s sensible to think about the stance you’ll take if things take a sour turn. Your staff are adults and they should be well aware that offensive costumes aren’t appropriate. Tackle issues head-on – just because it’s Halloween, it doesn’t mean that you should let standards slide. You definitely shouldn’t dismiss inappropriate behavior as ‘just a bit of fun’.

 

Use your common sense and enter into the spirit of the season if you wish to do so. And once things are done and dusted, remember that it’s only a few months until you face a whole new set of challenges in the shape of Christmas!!

 

Need help exploring the issues surrounding the festivities and your responsibilities as an employer, we would love to help. Contact us today.

 

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My Boss Lies…..

Most people have probably experienced a situation where their boss or their boss’s boss has lied, or said an untruth, or inferred an untruth.Lying is more common than I want to believe it is.Whether it is a “big” lie or a “little” lie, it’s still a lie.And that affects your credibility.If you lie, even by making a covert only partially true inference, your credibility is shot – people will not trust you completely.

I have had a boss who lied.I have also been in the same room with HR professionals who have lied to the employee standing right in front of them.Ten minutes later, they are saying something different to that employee’s manager.

Why do people lie?In the situation above, I believe the HR professional was trying to put a positive spin on the situation.The problem was, it wasn’t true.The result of which is that employees see through the untruth and the HR professional loses their credibility.In the case of my boss who lied, I believe that deep down they were incredibly insecure and simply trying to make them self look better than they were.Unfortunately it backfired.I believe that type of behavior will always backfire.Maybe not right away, but eventually it will catch up with you.The sad part is that my boss was incredibly talented and their insecurity was misguided.

Others may lie because they grew up in a family where their lying was never called to the carpet, it was accepted.So they continued to lie because at the time, it was helping their situation. So they kept on lying throughout life. As an adult, well, that was probably the person who was my boss.

Do you have a tendency to lie?Resist the temptation.Don’t do it.The good news is that credibility can be regained – but it takes time.If you’ve lied your whole life, change won’t happen overnight; but you can change.You can learn to tell the truth if you commit to always being truthful.If you catch yourself having lied and have the opportunity to go back to the person and correct your statement, then do so.There is nothing that will build trust with others more than always telling the truth.You’ll gain respect and credibility.

How do you deal with others who lie?Always treat them with respect.Kindly call them out on their untruths – but only if you are 100% certain.The last thing you want to do is accuse someone of lying, when in fact, they did not.And be prepared when you call them out, they may not acknowledge it even then.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word trustworthy as “worthy of confidence; dependable”. In life, as well as in business, we should practice the art of being trustworthy and living up to our commitments. It is important to those you work with to be dependable and consistent. This shows that you can be counted on to provide excellent work on a daily basis.

As you relate to the good and the destructive people as a trustworthy person, one can only hope that they will see the error of their ways and work toward change and become trustworthy themselves.

Need help with your HR practices? Contact us today for your HR needs.

 

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Three Difficult Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before 2019

By now, it’s highly likely that you’ll have asked yourself the big, important and very obvious questions about how your business measured up during the past year. You’ll know how much you increased your turnover. How many new staff you recruited. And what your goals are moving forward.

Planning and reflection sessions can be hugely useful, but sometimes, it can be easy to miss the less obvious measures of what you are and aren’t achieving. If you’re serious about making this next year a success, you need to delve a little deeper and consider the questions that probably haven’t even crossed your mind.

Let’s get started right away.

Are your line managers really capable?

 

It’s safe to say that your line managers are, in so many respects, the backbone of your business. They deal with day-to-day issues. They handle unexpected events. They make sure your policies are implemented and adhered to, and they keep things moving along when you can’t be there. So it’s crucially important that they can perform to the absolute best of their ability.

It’s important to note here that identifying problems when it comes to capability isn’t about pointing the finger. You need to avoid knee-jerk reactions. Carefully consider where there’s room for improvement, then create a plan that will help you to get to where you want to be. This might involve training, coaching or something completely different.

What HR mistakes have you made in the past twelve months?

No one is perfect. Running a business is a steep learning curve, whether you’re completely new to entrepreneurship, or you’ve been in the game for decades. The world is constantly changing and adapting, and you need to make sure that you’re keeping up. What worked just a few years ago won’t necessarily bring about desirable results right now.

So what mistakes did you make when it comes to your human resources during the past year? Think about operational issues, as well as the bigger strategic picture. Are your employees onboard with organizational goals? Does everyone understand and embrace their role in achieving growth? Only when you get really honest with yourself, can you start to work out how you won’t fall into the same trap twice.

 

What do you need to do to grow as a leader?

 

It’s easy to overlook your own personal development when you’re trying to grow a team. It’s crucially important though. How can you be expected to get the most out of everyone else, if you aren’t constantly improving and growing yourself? This should be a consideration throughout the year, but it’s easy to drop the ball. Now is a good time to reflect.

Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution here. You can’t just book yourself on a training course and assume you’ve ticked the box, or download a generic management book and promise yourself that you’ll get stuck into it. Your approach needs to be tailored to your needs, and it must be an ongoing process rather than a one-off task.

Asking the right questions can be a huge source of growth in your business. Obviously though, you need to get really honest with yourself when it comes to working out the answers. Jot down your initial thoughts. Then scrap them and work on being really truthful. It’s not necessarily easy, but the powerful tactics rarely are.

Contact us today for your HR needs.

 

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