Sick Leave Rush in December: How Can We Reduce Year-End Absenteeism?

Hi Everyone, In my current organization, the sick leave policy is such that after the calendar year is over, the pending sick leave gets lapsed. Consequently, the majority of my employees tend to use their pending sick leave in December. How can we prevent this from occurring? We observe a high rate of absenteeism among employees in December.

Thank you.

You may consider allowing sick leave to be carried forward to the next year, subject to certain limits. However, whatever condition you may set for availing medical leave in December, it is much easier to get a medical certificate, and there is no effective method to verify or disprove the medical certificate.

Availing medical leave on false grounds amounts to malingering, which is considered misconduct in many standing orders of old organizations. However, hardly anybody has been booked or had punishment imposed for it.

Carrying forward sick leave can be considered. The culture of paying for and obtaining a fake medical certificate is flourishing. The doctor who issues it and the employee who wants it are to be blamed. As an incentive, employees who don't take sick leave should be given some extra credit in appraisals.

Carrying forward Earned Leave and Sick Leave is admissible. Many organizations are following this practice. Only in the case of Casual Leave, the unavailed portion shall automatically lapse at the end of the year.

Hence, you may consider carrying forward Sick Leave to help curb the practice of availing leaves in December.

Alternatively, you can consider instituting a Best Attendance Award and/or awarding credit in the appraisal form regarding attendance.

If you have the budget, you can provide an incentive for 50% of unused sick leave to avoid absenteeism in December.

Think like a human being first. Suppose an employee hasn't taken leave for the whole year; let him enjoy the leaves in his kitty. Be happy.

You may try to accumulate or encash unavailed leaves. You will see no one will misuse them.

Hi, In reference to the above problem that you are facing, you can discuss it with the management. Absenteeism can affect team performance and productivity. You can also inform all employees through a circular that the related documents for medical leave or sick leave will have to be submitted to the HR department. Additionally, mention that the HR department will verify the documents with the issuing authority. If someone is found misusing the sick leave benefit, disciplinary action will be taken against them.

Carry forward of sick leave
Carry forward of sick leave can be considered, as most companies are implementing this practice.

Misuse of sick leave can be addressed by implementing certain rules considering the amount of leave provided by the establishment, such as:

1. Taking action against employees who take leave on false pretenses.

2. Requiring a doctor's prescription and a fitness certificate for sick leave exceeding 2-3 days.

3. Ensuring the HR department remains proactive by contacting employees or their family members for verification through phone calls or video calls, and gathering feedback from colleagues.

4. Involving all Heads of Departments in scrutinizing leave irregularities under the guidance of the CEO/MD.

Remember, with a holistic intention, nothing is impossible.

We have a hospital in Delhi. As per the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, employees are entitled to 12 CL/sick leave. We had the same issue; our nursing staff used to avail the balance of CL/sick leave in December. We permitted encashing the CL/sick leave in December, and now we face no such issue. Those in need take leave, others go for encashment.

Hi! Generally, casual leave gets elapsed at the end of the year, but sick leave or medical leave is allowed to be carried forward in most organizations. However, the best option to address absenteeism at the end of the year is either to modify your policy to allow the carry forward of sick leave or introduce another scheme whereby employees are rewarded suitably – one with an appreciation letter and another with a cash award, in proportion to sick leave availed. This approach will serve a dual purpose, curtailing the availing of sick leave towards the end of the year and promoting the importance of maintaining good health among employees!

Hi, I think if an employee has not taken leave for a year and is taking leave just because their leave will not carry forward, that is fine. We, as an organization, encourage our employees to take sick leave (SL), but it should not affect the business. If the whole team is taking leave on the same dates, it will not be accepted. Therefore, you need to restructure your SL policies.

Suggestions for Sick Leave Policy
You may allow employees to take 2 SL days in a month or start allowing SL to be carried forward.

Regards,

Please review your sick leave policy and make provisions for carry forward and reimbursement.

The company may start an encashment policy and/or introduce an incentive program for those who have not taken medical leave. This is because December sick leave absenteeism creates a workforce crisis for a specific period and is not meant for enjoying leave.

Measures to Reduce Fake Certificates
The business may require a civil surgeon to countersign the December sick leave certificate to reduce or eliminate fake certificates. Other measures include awards for the best attendance, policies that consider attendance in evaluations, and a December notice about possible consequences for taking false medical leave.

It is the job of an HR professional to face such types of atmospheres and know how to handle them. To do this, you need to take a proactive approach. You should discuss this with management and consider modifying your leave policy. You must adjust your leave policy for the future; otherwise, the same problems may arise again. Create a policy that ensures neither the company nor the employees feel deceived.

If they don't utilize it, it will lapse. So, misuse in one way or another will occur. One way to address this is by restricting the quantum of leave that can be availed at a time. Another option may be allowing employees to encash their balance of sick leave at the end of the year.

The only solution is to carry forward the sick leaves after discussing it with management.

Have you thought about an attendance review throughout December? You should be able to identify issues with a particular employee or identify sick leave trends within a group of employees. Gather the facts, then present them to the employees in question.

Prepare Questions Carefully
Make sure you are prepared with questions that do not impede on employee rights and be ready for answers to your questions.

A sick leave review with facts will reduce sick leave as it is monitored, reviewed, and acted upon.

Hi, This is a genuine problem faced by many organizations. Based on my understanding, it's not the right of employees to take sick leave on or before December 31. We can take the following steps to stop bad practices:

1. Create awareness among employees that genuine sick leave should be taken.
2. Convert sick leave to earned leave.
3. Propose providing a small incentive to those who take fewer sick days.
4. If any false documents are submitted by employees, issue a warning or take disciplinary action.

Regards

Misuse of sick leave

Misuse of sick leave refers to taking time off from work for reasons other than genuine illness. It can result in decreased productivity and increased costs for the company. To prevent this, companies may implement policies such as requiring a doctor's note or prior approval for taking a sick day. Additionally, regular attendance and performance evaluations can be used to identify and address any patterns of abuse.

Ways to stop the misuse of sick leave

1. Clear policies: Clearly defined and communicated policies can help prevent employees from misusing sick leave.

2. Verification procedures: Requiring a doctor's note or verifying the reason for absence can discourage employees from taking time off for non-medical reasons.

3. Flexible leave options: Offering alternative leave options such as paid time off or personal days can reduce the incentive to misuse sick leave.

4. Employee education: Regular training and education on the company's attendance and leave policies can help employees understand the consequences of misusing sick leave.

5. Monitoring and reporting: Regular monitoring and reporting of attendance and leave patterns can help identify and address any misuse.

6. Progressive discipline: Establishing a progressive disciplinary process for repeated misuse of sick leave can serve as a deterrent and provide a clear understanding of the consequences.

7. Encouraging open communication: Encouraging open communication between employees and managers can help resolve any issues and prevent misuse of sick leave.