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Something wrong or head in the sand?

Thursday 22 September 2016

Illness happens to you, absenteeism is a choice!

Everyone suffers from something. On average, employees are absent once a year. And yes, some people also miss illicitly. Child sick and holidays on? sick. Cup celebration of Feyenoord on the Coolsingel on Monday morning? sick. In addition, you also have the 'grey' absenteeism. I may continue working with a banging headache, while colleague X already leaves her workplace with a snot nose. It is important that as an organization you do not bury your head in the sand but take action.

Last week I gave the workshop 'risk management absenteeism' to (new) internal employees of Actief Werkt! . During this workshop I teach the participants to make a thorough risk assessment when assuming a sick report. At the start of the training, I ask my colleagues to formulate their own vision on long-term absenteeism. Een listed a few reactions: ''I find absenteeism difficult, we do pay attention to it, but they are always those strange stories.'' ''Sometimes I can't do anything with it.'' frame of reference.” I think that these reactions are characteristic of the negative atmosphere that prevails within many organizations in the field of absenteeism. Unfortunately! Actief Werkt! is doing well in absenteeism. We have learned; if you put your heads together, it can certainly lead to something positive.

It starts with disconnecting absenteeism and illness. Communicate with the absent employee about the possibilities instead of the limitations. Show interest but don't medicalize. That medical information is of no use to you, after all, you are not a doctor. In addition, the pain threshold differs per person. Start the conversation and try to find out what someone can still do. A company doctor can help with this if necessary. Also discuss whether there might be something else going on. Is someone out of place or are there problems in the private sphere? See which problems you can solve or remove. Start the conversation in a positive way and especially discuss which actions you can use to get someone moving.

I fully support our philosophy; illness happens to you, absenteeism is a choice. At Actief Werkt! we see that if there is a little will, almost everyone can still do something. Besides, all Nederland has to work for his/her money. Why not a sick employee for his/her sick pay? As soon as it is clear that a flex colleague cannot (yet) return to his/her own work, but does have usable opportunities, we start the reintegration process. We start immediately because the longer someone is out of the labor process, the more difficult the return becomes. We look at the possibilities within the current organization, but also look across the border. We continue until the flex colleague performs work that fits the possibilities. So no, not just scanning papers and pasting stickers. Full-fledged work. And you know what's so beautiful? The flex colleague is overjoyed and often he/she is allowed to stay after recovery!

Actief Werkt! is an employment agency, we are in contact with many organizations. Of course that helps. But regular companies can also learn something. Talk to your network. Don't bury your head in the sand. It's a matter of taking a long breath. Communicate, collaborate, persevere and share success stories. Because once you have mastered that reintegration flow as an organization, it produces a lot of happy faces!

Want to know more or talk further? Perhaps Actief Werkt! can mean something. Would you like a cup of coffee soon?

Tessy Derks is Flex Advisor at Actief Werkt! . In her position she is responsible for co-developing and Tessy Derks translating the HR policy with regard to flex colleagues. In addition, she acts as a source of information and sparring partner for the operation, with the aim of achieving an optimal transfer of knowledge of the temporary employment legislation/HR issues.