How Can We Effectively Reduce Absenteeism in the Pharmaceutical Industry?

Understanding Procedures to Reduce Absenteeism

I am working in the pharmaceutical industry and would like to understand the procedures to reduce absenteeism at all levels.

With Regards,
S.K. Singh

Let me remind you of the famous quote by Peter Drucker: "Without measurement, there is no management." Therefore, if you wish to manage absenteeism, first conduct a study of the workers' absenteeism focusing on the following points:

- Absenteeism concerning departments and designations
- Absenteeism concerning age groups
- Absenteeism concerning gender
- Absenteeism concerning various seasons of the year
- Absenteeism concerning the production of certain products or the requirement to work on particular machines
- Absenteeism concerning educational qualifications
- Absenteeism concerning specific time periods of the month (i.e., after receiving salary)

Causes of Absenteeism

Absenteeism is a malaise that affects most manufacturing companies. Other causes of absenteeism include:

- Company lacking a brand image
- Remuneration not meeting market standards
- Long working hours
- Management treating employees as slaves
- Job and person mismatch
- Lack of career consciousness
- Lack of promotional avenues. Employees remain in the same designation for years.
- Company showing no interest in developing their staff's personalities. There is a fear that educated workers will outsmart them.
- Intense competition in the job market leading workers to seek opportunities elsewhere.
- Poor, unsafe, or unhygienic work practices causing health issues.
- Lack of employee welfare activities.

Additionally, calculate the losses incurred by the company due to lost or delayed orders and quality issues resulting from frequent employee turnover. Demonstrate to the management that these losses far exceed the costs of improving work practices.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Mr. Dinesh has given detailed advice and food for thought. Basically, absenteeism is caused due to the indifference of the workmen toward the management, for reasons elaborated by Mr. Dinesh. I feel that a beginning in this regard should be made with the management team. Since they have been dealing with the workmen day in and day out, they must have relevant input as to the cause of absenteeism. If so, it is better to take that also into account while proceeding further as outlined below.

Short-Term Measures to Address Absenteeism

In the instant case, as a short-term measure, you have to monitor absenteeism at the level where it concerns most and be ready with the facts and figures. If you have unions in your organization, you have to involve them either through collective bargaining and negotiate the issue with them by linking it to productivity. If there is no union, in that case, you have to hold workshops with the representatives of the workmen concerned, explaining that absenteeism causes abundant avoidable damage to both parties, and that it is incumbent upon the workmen to contribute favorably in this regard. Perhaps during this process, workmen may raise some of the salient issues affecting their interests in the organization, which your management has to promise to look into seriously and remedy in due course of time.

I am sure this can make a positive beginning. To lead the process, you can also seek the help of a management consultant after holding a detailed pre-discussion regarding the problem and the type of help and guidance you are seeking from him.

I am sure this can make a good start.

Wishing you all the best.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

In this connection, I would like to add the following based on my personal experience:

1. If it is a unionized organization, at the time of wage or any other negotiation, it should be made clear in writing that the union should not interfere while taking disciplinary action, mainly on unauthorized absence, i.e., absenting without any intimation habitually. Here, also, two or three warning letters should be issued to such an employee to correct themselves. If the employee does not respond, then action to suspend the employee for two or three days should be taken (of course, it is better to do this with the knowledge of the union to avoid unnecessary unrest).

2. If there is no union, management can issue a Notice/Circular to the workers intimating the actions proposed to be taken by management.

It is also necessary to make it very clear to the union/workers that unauthorized absence of the worker will affect the production or execution of the day-to-day work, thereby causing not only management but also the workers to be at a loss. Counseling is also very much essential to reduce absenteeism and improve production/execution.

Hope this will help to some extent.

Regards,
Eswararao Ivaturi.