Workplace: Reducing Employee Absences

It’s not realistic to expect employees at 9 to 5 jobs to be able to do everything that needs to be done to maintain a healthy home, without taking “personal” days — days off from work that are used for personal matters rather than sick time off from work.

If employers understood that by taking care of their employees by granting a certain number of personal days a year, employees will be more productive.

In addition, employees will not lie when they take sick days for personal business because they just don’t have enough time to do everything. The lying creates a mistrust in the workplace because not only are the employers lied to, but employees may consider that they are not the only ones lying and that other people around them are lying, too. It’s not a great atmosphere for being productive and creative.

Good employees are great resources, and are often not completely valued until they are ex-employees. Keeping them happy and on board is a skill not unlike keeping a good marriage going — it takes recognition of the job they’re doing, appreciation, and compromise between meeting your company needs and your employee needs.

Tips on keeping your best employees

* Pay them well. Reward them along the way — sooner rather than later. You may think they’re terrific, but they don’t always know what you’re thinking, and even knowing what you’re thinking doesn’t pay their bills.

* Give them feedback that is constructive.

* Keep them in the loop when it comes to the growth of the company. Feeling like a cog in a big wheel can be dis-empowering and lower esteem. Making employees — especially your best employees — feel valuable by making them part of the growth plan, will pay off in their loyalty and their ideas for growth shared.