Effective Management Reduces Sick Days

Managers concerned about levels of employee sickness could find that their own activities are able to influence the situation, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Senior public policy adviser Ben Willmott claims that effective management is able to reduce the prevalence of sickness among the workforce.

However, he does admit that his assertions refer to employees taking sick days that might not be strictly necessary.

In order to prevent this from occurring, Mr Willmott recommends ensuring employees are engaged by consulting with them and providing them with clear guidance.

As this helps them to recognise their goals and how to reach them more effectively, he claims the number of unnecessary sick days taken is likely to diminish accordingly.

The suggestions could be particularly important during the winter months, when the spokesperson claims it is inevitable that individuals will suffer a cold or flu at some point.

He adds that it is under such circumstances, when workers are running a fever or have other severe symptoms, that it is important for them to be able to take a sick day in order to recover.

Mr Willmott concludes that it is most important that employees strike a balance between feeling able to take a day off and only doing so when absolutely necessary.