Managing Absence Effectively

Virtually all organisations have absence management policies in place but absence continues to cost the UK economy many millions of pounds each year.

According to the CBI, employers believe that 15 per cent of absence is non-genuine. Alongside handling genuine illness in a positive manner, co-ordinated measures are needed to discourage non-legitimate absence. There is some debate about whether the approach to tackling absence should be punitive or well-being focused.

This paper investigates the causes of absence and demonstrates how to achieve a successful absence management policy.