Sickness absence has risen to 7.6 days per employee per year
Sick days cost UK businesses £29bn each year
The UK has the worst sickness absence rate in Europe
The average worker has faked sickness 4 times in their life
Employers are suspicious of over ½ of sickness claims

The cost of fraudulent sickness absence is too great to ignore.  In addition to the financial strain these liars place on your business, those left covering the work of their unscrupulous team mates are put under strain, ironically, increasing the risk of genuine illness due to stress.  However…

Presenteeism an Ever Present Danger

At the other extreme are the employees who always turn in no matter how ill they are.  As well as spreading illness to the rest of the team, these martyrs remain unproductive far longer than those who simply take a day off to recover.

• Presenteeism costs UK businesses twice as much as absenteeism each year
• Employees coming in to work ill are far more likely to make a costly mistake

Weed Out the Liars

Spotting the liars while keeping the genuinely ill safe at home in their beds can be a nightmare. So is gathering the evidence needed for disciplinary action.  Fortunately we have some tricks to help you.

Pattern Spot

Review a suspect’s absences over the last few months.  Are there any patterns?  Are Fridays or Mondays more prevalent showing a penchant for long weekends?  Software is also available for businesses to spot trends in absenteeism behaviour that may be missed, such as time taken off during school holidays.

Are the reasons given for absence weak or repeated?  Poor excuses are not as hard to spot as you might think.  What’s the best one you’ve been given?

Social Media Secrets

Many fakers have been caught out by updates on Facebook or Twitter revealing they are at the beach or a theme park when they are supposed to be at home in bed.  If you are suspicious it may be worth a look.  After all, even if the perpetrator doesn’t post a status themselves, they could still be tagged by someone else.

Welcome Back Chat

Many companies utilise a ‘Back to Work Interview’ for those returning after a sickness absence.  While checking those who have been genuinely ill are safe to recommence work, it also offers an opportunity to check ‘Fit Notes’ and delve a little deeper into any suspicious excuses.

Need to Cover Illness?

Here at Langley James, we know how to find the most vibrant and talented people available, from Web Developers to IT Managers and everyone in-between.  Many of these candidates are available for short term contract work with the flexibility to help cover medium to long term sickness absence.

Whatever your requirements, permanent or contract, and up to the highest level of seniority, we can match you with the ideal candidate.  To discuss your IT recruitment needs please call us on 0207 099 4839 or email us at langleyjames@langleyjames.com.

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