Managing Unscheduled Absences: Strategies For Hospital Systems

Unscheduled absences in hospitals are a challenge, with a high number of clinical staff taking time off without prior approval. This can be due to various reasons, such as illness, injury, or personal issues. Effective management of these absences is essential to ensure patient care and safety. Hospitals aim to reduce absenteeism by addressing workplace issues, providing support for staff, and offering flexible work arrangements. They also implement policies and procedures to handle employee absences, including tracking and disciplinary actions. Additionally, hospitals may utilize centralized systems and HR professionals to manage attendance and provide guidance to supervisors.

Encouraging employee morale and autonomy

Employee morale and autonomy are essential factors in reducing unscheduled absences in hospital systems. When employees feel valued, engaged, and supported by their organisation, they are less likely to be absent. Here are some strategies to encourage employee morale and autonomy:

Communication and Support:

Managers should communicate with employees about their well-being, not only regarding their work responsibilities but also their lives outside of work. This demonstrates care and concern for the employee as an individual. It is also crucial to address any workplace issues, such as harassment, burnout, stress, or work conflicts, that may be contributing to absenteeism. Open communication can help identify these problems early on and allow for timely interventions.

Flexibility and Work-Life Balance:

Offering flexibility in work schedules and locations can significantly impact employee morale and satisfaction. Research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows that employees who have more autonomy over their work arrangements have a greater sense of control and are more satisfied with their jobs. This flexibility can extend to onsite shift workers as well, by bundling sick days and vacation days, giving them more control over their paid time off (PTO). Additionally, encouraging planned vacations can help employees recharge and prevent burnout, reducing the likelihood of unscheduled absences.

Recognition and Engagement:

Recognising employees with positive attendance records and behaviours can boost morale and encourage others to improve their attendance. Regular meetings between managers and employees can help identify any concerns or challenges they may be facing. By showing that the organisation values their contribution and well-being, employees are more likely to feel motivated and engaged, reducing the need for unscheduled absences.

Addressing Root Causes:

Unscheduled absences may be a symptom of deeper issues, such as workplace harassment, burnout, or stress. Regular feedback and short surveys can help identify these root causes. By addressing these issues, organisations can improve employee morale and reduce absences. For example, if an employee is struggling with childcare arrangements, adjusting their start time to accommodate their situation can remove the anxiety associated with unexpected absences.

Training and Support:

Investing in training and development opportunities for employees can enhance their skills and engagement with their work. Providing support for employees facing life crises or struggling with mental or physical health concerns can also reduce absenteeism. This support can include offering resources, such as employee assistance programmes or counselling services, to help employees manage their well-being effectively.

Providing sufficient notice and communication

Providing sufficient notice and open communication is key to reducing unscheduled absences in hospital systems. Firstly, it is important to define what constitutes an "unscheduled absence". An unscheduled absence is when an employee does not show up for work without prior approval from a supervisor. This differs from an "excused absence", which is typically due to illness or injury, and requires a doctor's note. In the case of the latter, employees should notify their supervisor as soon as possible, ideally before their shift starts.

Hospital employees should be encouraged to provide sufficient notice of any upcoming absences. A good benchmark is at least 48 hours in advance, as this gives supervisors time to find replacement workers and adjust schedules. This also allows for any necessary paperwork to be completed, such as an absence request form, which should be approved by a supervisor. Employees should also be made aware of the consequences of failing to provide sufficient notice, such as disciplinary action or being marked as a "no-call, no-show", which can have more severe repercussions.

Open and honest communication between employees and supervisors is vital to reducing unscheduled absences. Supervisors should regularly check in with their direct reports to discuss any concerns, workload, or personal issues that may be affecting their attendance. Short surveys can also be sent out to employees to gauge their satisfaction with PTO policies, workload, safety practices, and manager effectiveness. This can help to identify any problems that may be leading to absenteeism, such as workplace harassment, burnout, stress, or childcare challenges.

Additionally, fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable disclosing physical or mental health concerns is crucial. This can be achieved through regular meetings with supervisors and ensuring employees feel valued and supported by the organization. By addressing these issues early on, supervisors can work with employees to tweak their schedules, provide additional training, or offer other support to reduce unscheduled absences.

Overall, providing sufficient notice and maintaining open communication about absences can help hospital systems manage unscheduled absences more effectively. This not only helps with staffing and scheduling but also ensures employees feel supported and valued, leading to improved attendance and engagement.

Addressing workplace issues

Presenteeism, or working while sick, can be as big an issue as absenteeism, with even greater productivity loss. A culture of presenteeism may be encouraged by traditional sick day policies, which can make employees feel they must choose between risking their health and risking discipline. This can be addressed by bundling sick days and vacation days, giving employees more control over their paid time off (PTO). Remote or hybrid work options can also help employees feel more control over their work, leading to higher satisfaction.

Employee morale also has a significant impact on absenteeism rates. Organisations with good morale experience lower rates of unscheduled absences, and rate their absence control policies as more effective. It is important to treat employees fairly and give them autonomy over their work and schedules, which can be achieved through flexible work options.

Absenteeism may also be a result of employees feeling undervalued, or dealing with a life crisis or physical or mental health concerns. Managers can address this by regularly meeting with their direct reports and tweaking schedules or investing in more training.

Offering flexible work arrangements

One way to offer flexibility is to allow remote or hybrid work arrangements. This can be particularly beneficial for employees with caring responsibilities, long commutes, or those facing personal challenges. For example, a nurse with childcare commitments may appreciate the option to work remotely on certain days, reducing the anxiety associated with unexpected absences. Hospitals can also bundle sick days and vacation days, giving employees more control over their paid time off (PTO). This approach recognises that employees may need time off for reasons beyond illness, such as rest and recovery from burnout.

Flexible work arrangements can also extend to onsite shift workers. For example, hospitals can adjust start and end times to accommodate employees' personal commitments, such as childcare or medical appointments. This simple tweak to an employee's schedule can significantly reduce unscheduled absences and increase overall attendance. Additionally, hospitals can provide flexibility by investing in more training opportunities. This not only benefits the employees but also the hospital, as staff can gain new skills and knowledge to enhance their performance and productivity.

Regular meetings between managers and their direct reports are also crucial in offering flexible work arrangements. These meetings provide opportunities to discuss any challenges or concerns that employees may have and allow managers to show that they care about their staff's well-being. Managers can work together with their team members to find solutions and provide support, whether that means adjusting schedules, providing additional resources, or simply offering a listening ear. Such proactive and empathetic management can foster a sense of trust and engagement, ultimately reducing unscheduled absences.

Tracking and managing absenteeism

Tracking Absenteeism

• Calculate Absentee Rate: Calculate the absentee rate to identify patterns and trends. This can be done by dividing the number of absences by the total number of workdays within a specific period and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.
• Centralized Systems: Utilize centralized systems for tracking attendance, such as digital tools or software, to streamline the process and provide an overview of absenteeism data.
• HR Involvement: HR professionals play a crucial role in tracking absenteeism. They establish metrics and technology systems to monitor absenteeism rates, analyze data, and provide recommendations to senior management.

Managing Absenteeism

• Address Root Causes: Identify and address the underlying reasons for absenteeism. Common causes include workplace harassment, burnout, stress, childcare challenges, lack of engagement, and illness or injury. Regularly seek feedback from employees through surveys to understand their concerns.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote or hybrid work options, to provide employees with a greater sense of control over their schedules. This can help reduce unscheduled absences.
• Early Conversations: Managers should address absenteeism early on. Having open and honest conversations with employees can demonstrate that their absence has been noticed and that their well-being is valued.
• Supportive Measures: Provide support to employees to help them manage their work-life balance. This can include offering planned vacations, encouraging the use of paid time off (PTO), and addressing workplace issues such as work demands or conflicts.
• Disciplinary Action: Establish clear attendance policies and enforce them consistently. Define excessive absenteeism and the consequences, such as disciplinary action or termination, as outlined in the employee handbook.
• Recognition and Incentives: Focus on recognizing and rewarding employees with positive attendance records. This can boost morale and encourage others to improve their attendance.

By implementing these strategies, hospital systems can effectively track and manage unscheduled absences, ensuring a dedicated and engaged workforce to provide optimal patient care.

Frequently asked questions