FEBRUARY 2008: BIZ LIFE, HELP DESK
A healthier way to deal with sick time
As cold and flu season takes its toll on the workforce this
winter, creating an abundance of empty desks and voicemail
boxes filled to capacity, take a moment to consider how your
company could keep employees healthier and better manage sick
time.
First, look at the bigger picture. For example, are more
employees calling in sick just because it’s wintertime or
has absenteeism become a problem year round? “In human
resources, we see absenteeism as a barometer of what it’s
like to work for a company,” says Alan Houston, the human
resources director for the Doubletree Hotel and Executive
Meeting Center at the Portland Lloyd Center. “If people
are calling in sick when they’re not sick, it’s an
indicator of low morale or issues within an
organization.”
If employees seem to be taking sick time because they’re
actually sick, rather than manifesting deeper ills within the
organization, find ways to help them stay healthy. Houston
recommends organizing health fairs, creating fliers about
simple ways to avoid contracting illnesses and offering
in-house flu shots.
With the increase in health-care costs, many companies are
moving beyond suggesting hand washing and juice drinking by
offering preventive care that comes bundled with existing
insurance packages. These types of services can cover
everything from mental health and smoking cessation to massage
and acupuncture. Also, consider rewarding healthy behavior,
such as riding bicycles to work, with kickbacks or extra paid
time off.
“It might seem obvious,” Houston says, “but
it doesn’t hurt to spread the message: Take care of
yourself and stay healthy.”
In addition, consider how you package sick time. Are employees
showing up at the office with a fever because they’re
saving paid time off for a trip to Hawaii? Does HR spend too
much time tracking sick notes and excuses for missed work when
a day off should just be considered a day off? Depending on how
your workforce is functioning, you may want to consider lumping
sick time with all paid time off or separating the two.
Either way, says Elizabeth Sadhu, board member on the Lane
County Human Resource Association Board, managers should accept
the occasional employee mental-health day as a valid reason for
missing work. “Part of health and wellness includes
having a friendly work environment that promotes honest
communication,” she says. That’s because
ultimately, a healthier workforce means a healthier bottom
line.
LUCY BURNINGHAM
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