First published on Friday, December 6, 2024
Last updated on Friday, December 6, 2024
There’s snow avoiding it, when the temperatures start dropping cold and flu cases rise, meaning your staff are more likely to take sick days.
Dealing with increased sick days during winter can create havoc for your business and your schedule. Especially when managing staffing levels, punctuality, and attendance.
But don’t worry! With a few proactive steps, you’ll be able to keep your business running smoothly and your team feeling their best.
Tip 1: Create a healthy sick leave culture
BrightHR absence data shows that November is the second highest month for sickness absence, pacing at 117% above the monthly average.
But managing these sickness absences effectively begins with fostering a healthy sick leave culture. Without it, you’ll see an increase in presenteeism, a term coined for when employees come to work despite being ill.
This not only spreads illnesses to other staff members, but then leads to a domino effect of spiralling productivity. Employees who feel pressured to work while sick are only going to feel more stressed and tired, which can potentially lead to long-term health issues.
In Ireland, the cost of sick leave for an employee is about €1500 a year, considering both direct costs like sick pay and lost productivity, as well as any temporary staffing. For reasons discussed above, this only increases if you don’t create an environment where employees can take time off when they need it.
Examples of ways you can create a health sick leave culture include:
Using an absence management software to track and record sick leave which saves staff from having to make early morning calls when they’re unwell.
Providing regular training and resources on good health practices, such as proper hygiene, flu vaccinations, and healthy lifestyle advice
Focusing your efforts on mental health paying particular attention to conditions like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that impact staff disproportionately in Winter
This leads us nicely on to our next tip…
Tip 2: Offer employee wellbeing support
Supporting your employees’ wellbeing is crucial for maintaining a productive and healthy workforce. With the right support in place, your staff are more likely to remain engaged and are less likely to take sick days.
Providing access to wellbeing support, such as an Employee Assistance Programme, can help employees manage stress and personal challenges. Encouraging better work-life balance through regular breaks, vacation days, and flexible work arrangements can help contribute to better overall wellbeing.
Plus, these measures can have a noticeable boost to productivity, happiness, engagement, and retention.
Tip 3: Stay compliant with the law
Staying compliant with Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) laws in Ireland is crucial in avoiding costly tribunal claims and maintaining a positive workforce. Under the Sick Leave Act 2022, employees are entitled to five paid days of sick leave per year, at 70% of their normal daily earnings, up to a max of €110 per day.
Failure to comply can lead to significant financial and reputational damage. A recent case saw an employer face intense public scrutiny for denying sick leave to an employee. The employer was then made to pay the amount in full by the tribunal. While not a huge amount at first glance, the reputational damage can persist, impacting your business in other areas.
This case serves to highlight the importance of navigating this period effectively. It’s important to have a clear sick leave policy in place, and if you’re unsure, use a template from an online HR document library to save yourself time. Also, always seek expert advice to navigate particularly complex cases, keeping detailed records of all sick leave requests to help ensure transparency and foster a fair and compliant workplace.
Tip 4: Winter-proof your health & safety risk assessments
Making sure your risk assessments account for employee wellbeing and health is crucial for keeping your team safe and productive over the winter months. Not only this, but good safety practices will lower the risk of employee sickness and injury which in turn reduces your risk of last-minute sick leave requests.
It’s essential to regularly update your safety measures to address winter-specific hazards like icy walkways, cold temperatures, or illnesses which are more common in cold conditions.
Finally, don’t forget to keep your workplace as ventilated as possible to reduce the spread of germs.
Need more HR & safety support this winter?
Want to master your winter sickness management? Get your FREE Sickness/Injury Payments & Conditions Policy created by our expert HR advisors, and learn how to improve your sickness reporting procedure, conduct effective return-to-work interviews, manage disciplinary actions, and more.
