Struggling with High Absenteeism in Manufacturing: How Can We Effectively Address It?

Dear Seniors, I am working for a Shoe Uppers Manufacturing Company. Our unit's strength is 350, and out of that, 35 employees are absent daily. Out of those 35, for sure, 10 will fall into "Unauthorised Absenteeism." Every morning, I meet the absentees and inquire about the reasons behind their absenteeism. However, the number is not reducing. There are a few employees who take leave abruptly without any prior information.

I suggested to the management that issuing warning letters to such employees might yield positive results as they seem to have a careless attitude. However, due to the high demand for manpower in the industry, they are hesitant to take such actions. I am considering creating a team among the workers themselves to address absenteeism on the floor. I hope this approach will be effective.

Kindly suggest to me what more can be done in this regard.

Regards, Subha

It is learned from the above post that the problem is attitude-related. Though you seem to have a constructive approach in solving this problem and hopefully will make it, I would still suggest you brief the issue to the management in a formal way and ask them to frame guidelines and instructions pertaining to unauthorized absence. Get it signed by the management and communicate it to all the workers in a training session exclusively designed for this particular topic. You may request one of the senior management personnel to attend the session, someone whom the entire workforce respects and admires.

This approach may solve the problem because merely warnings and a stick-in-hand approach are not advisable, considering the current manpower shortage you mentioned above. In my opinion, this will be the best solution-centric approach I would suggest.

Best Wishes,
Bhuvanesh Pareek
Kolkata

In manufacturing industries, issues of workers' absenteeism are always present. First, you can calculate the impact of absenteeism on daily production output/target achievement. To reduce absenteeism, you can announce an attendance allowance for workers based on their skill set requirements.

For example, for skilled stitchers, you can announce Rs. 1,000/- per month if there is no absence. For semi-skilled workers, you can announce Rs. 750/- per month under the same conditions. Similarly, for unskilled workers, you can offer some incentives. It is essential to discuss with your management and carefully devise this attendance allowance to enhance workers' attendance.

In the shoe manufacturing industry, skilled stitchers are crucial and must be present on the job. Their demand is also high in the apparel industry. Taking strict action may result in the loss of skilled workers.

Regards,
Tariq Nadeem
Manager HR
Shafi Shoes