
At the same time, however, it is important for employers to consider the added costs associated with a sick employee who spreads an illness that gets the whole division - or a lot of customers - sick.
Unless a company requires a written excuse from a doctor, for example, it can be difficult to determine if an employee is actually sick when missing work.
HARASSED FOR CALLING IN SICK PROFESSIONAL
According to the survey, the annual costs associated with absenteeism vary by industry, with the greatest loss occurring in professional occupations (excluding nurses, physicians and teachers) the 14 occupations and corresponding costs of lost productivity are shown in Figure 1.įigure 1: Annual cost of lost productivity by major U.S. Of the 77% of workers who fit the survey's definition of having a chronic health condition (asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity), the total annual costs related to lost productivity totaled $84 billion. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index surveyed 94,000 workers across 14 major occupations in the U.S. Partial shifts - Arriving late, leaving early and taking longer breaks than allowed are considered forms of absenteeism and can affect productivity and workplace morale.Job hunting - Employees may call in sick to attend a job interview, visit with a headhunter or work on their resumes/CVs.In addition to acute injuries, chronic injuries such as back and neck problems are a common cause of absenteeism.

Injuries - Accidents can occur on the job or outside of work, resulting in absences.

Not surprisingly, each year during the cold and flu season, there is a dramatic spike in absenteeism rates for both full-time and part-time employees.
