Summer sick leave rates low

Employees take the least amount of sick leave in December and January and this figure is decreasing every year. But 'presenteeism' may be more of a problem.

In a study of doctors' certificates covering 150 000 South African employees from over 60 companies, it emerged that December has the lowest absenteeism rate of any month of the year at 1.08%, with January the next lowest at 1.43%. Absenteeism over the 2007-2008 festive season had also decreased since the year before, when the figures were 1.47% and January 1.56% for December and January respectively, according to Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions CEO, Johnny Johnson.

How this was calculated
The absenteeism rate was calculated by dividing the number of days employees were absent by the number of days that they should have been at work during that month. The average monthly absenteeism rate for South African companies which actively manage abenteeism is about 1.67% (the total for the country as a whole may be higher).

"Sick absenteeism in South Africa costs around R19 billion a year, which is about 1% of South Africa's GDP," Johnson said. "The reasons for the lowered sick absenteeism rates during these months are obvious, as employees know they will soon be on Christmas leave, so even if they are sick, they come to work to get the job done before the holiday starts.

"Also, in South Africa, work sometimes slows down in December and early January, and the workday vibe can therefore be more enjoyable for those who still have to work, making it less tempting to abuse sick leave.

"December and January are also short months, with many companies shutting down over the festive season, so there are also fewer days available for employees to take sick leave," Johnson explained.

'Presenteeism' also a problem
He also mentioned the problem of 'presenteeism'. This refers to an employee who comes to work despite being ill, and whose productivity levels are low as a result of it.

"Presenteeism is also a big problem in December and January and is worse in times of economic downturn, because people are fearful of losing their jobs, so they don't take sick leave, and they come to work regardless.

"What is important to bear in mind here is that employees who are truly sick must be sent home, and employees who are present and are able to work, should be enjoying their jobs and not spending their days sleeping at their desk, avoiding their managers or surfing the net. In these cases, they are so unproductive, they might as well have taken sick leave," said Johnson.

"If companies are feeling the effects of presenteeism, managers could arrange tasks so that the more complex ones are completed earlier in the day and the less strenuous ones after lunch. Also, looking in to how to make the work more rewarding, and making employees feel valued for their contribution are important ways to avoid presenteeism.

"Many South African companies deal with presenteeism by shutting down in the slower parts of December and January, thereby ensuring that employees get their rest and are productive and raring to go when they return in January," Johnson added.

(Susan Erasmus, Health24, based on release by Angela Graham for CAM Solutions, December 2008)