What is Absence Management?
Absence management is the strategic process by which employers track, manage, and address employee absences through administered policies and procedures, whereby they also reduce uninformed, unplanned, and excessive leaves.
Absence management enables employers to proactively address absenteeism, reducing unplanned disruptions to the workflow. By implementing tailored policies and action plans, employers understand and effectively manage the reasons behind employee absences, fostering a more productive and compliant work environment.
What are the types of absences?
There are four main categories of absences:
- Planned Absences - scheduled in advance, such as vacations or planned time off for personal reasons.
- Unplanned Absence - typically sudden and unexpected, often due to sickness or emergencies.
- Authorized Absence - approved by the employers, which may include situations like medical leave, family emergencies, or other valid reasons recognized by the employers.
- Unauthorized Absence - absences without proper approval or notification.
In UAE workplaces, there are several other categories of absences that are commonly recognized and addressed, including Maternity Leaves, Paternity leaves, public holidays, unpaid leaves, and leave without pay (LWOP).
Why is absence management important?
Effective absence management is important for employers to minimize disruption to essential tasks and projects, and it enables seamless continuity of operations. Employers can support employees unable to work due to explained or unexplained absences.
A well-structured absence management system underscores an organization's commitment to employee well-being, which contributes to higher job satisfaction and greater employee retention rates.
How to implement absence management?
- Explain clear policies and communication guidelines, outline procedures for requesting and reporting absences, and ensure that employees are aware of these policies and have easy access to them.
- Utilize specialized absence management software or systems that streamline the tracking and reporting of employee absences. The tools shall help maintain accurate records for better resource allocation and decision-making.
- Train both managers and employees about absence policies and procedures, encourage open communication between employees and management, and make sure everyone knows the proper channels for notification.
- Periodically review and update absence management policies to remain compliant with changing laws, as well as keeping up to date with the overall approach for absence management in the workplace.
