How to …

● Workplace and other stress has led to high levels of absenteeism, and this is bad news for morale, productivity and profitability.

Nicol Mullins, an executive committee member at the South African Reward Association, says: “When absenteeism is rife across an enterprise, it may be the tip of the iceberg, indicating a more general dissatisfaction among employees.”

He has the following advice:

● If stress has been identified as the main cause of the absenteeism, companies should look at ways to remove or reduce stressors through wellbeing programmes, for example;

● Companies should also look at ways to promote job satisfaction. “Employeeowned and family businesses experience much lower absenteeism simply because there’s a strong sense of belonging and growth potential among workers — a sense of ownership,” he says; and

● Reward programmes that offer meaningful incentives have been shown to be effective. Reward the behaviour you want to see. “Recognising workers who have been present for a high number of consecutive days sends a clear message to their colleagues that this behaviour is desirable,” he says.