As the year wraps up, your employees could be feeling a double dose of stress from the lingering recession and the upcoming holidays—and both are likely to keep at least some otherwise-reliable employees home from work.
In fact, a new CareerBuilder survey shows that 28% of employers believe more employees are faking illnesses so they can stay home from work to cope with stress and burnout.
Mental health days are nothing new, but the survey shows that one-third of workers played hooky from work at least once during this year.
One in 10 workers admitted to calling in sick so they could skip a meeting or miss a deadline. Almost 30% said they just needed a day off to relax. Another third of workers said they simply didn’t feel like working, so they gave themselves a day off.
Rosemary Haefner, VP of HR at CareerBuilder, says rampant unscheduled absences, which upset productivity and leave managers scrambling, could be a symptom of the longer hours and heavier workloads that employers expect of the skeletal staffs created by layoffs and furloughs.
A separate study by consulting firm Watson Wyatt and HR association WorldatWork backs that up. It shows that economy-induced cost-cutting has contributed to a sharp decline in the morale, commitment and job satisfaction of employees—especially among top performers.
As the holidays approach, HR pros can take steps to boost morale and jump-start employee engagement. Here are 10 actions that might help minimize unscheduled absences and boost sluggish productivity in your organization:
1. Let employees use sick leave to deal with holiday stress—as long as they schedule the days off in advance so managers can plan for the absence. Stress, after all, can lead to a mountain of maladies, ranging from high blood pressure to depression to heart disease. If holiday traveling, cleaning, cooking and shopping, coupled with year-end deadlines, are driving employees to lie about their health, perhaps an extra day off in the thick of it would put them in a better frame of mind to work the following day.
2. Reward employees for finishing end-of-quarter projects with time off for shopping or socializing. The promise of an extra half-day of paid leave could spur some to work more efficiently and with a better attitude.
3. Offer employees greater flexibility with their workday schedules during the weeks leading up to the holidays. Allow them to come in earlier or later, or tack time onto the end of the workday in exchange for a few midday hours off. Let people work from home a day a week during December so they can schedule their work around their errands during this busy time, rather than the other way around.
4. Teach employees to deal with stress caused by holiday-season overcommitments. Bring in a time-management expert for a brown-bag session on how to get it all done. Organize midday walks, and encourage employees to exercise during stressful times. Supply healthy snacks or overtime meals for those logging extra hours.
5. Remind everyone about your EAP. It’s equipped to help employees who feel overworked, stressed, depressed, fatigued—or dreading unpleasant family holiday dynamics.
6. Help employees watch their weight. Organize a weight-management workshop. Challenge employees to set weight goals and compete against each other for a post-holiday prize.
7. Don’t let the holidays pass without a celebration. Skipping it sends a downer message to employees who are gloomy enough already. If you must cancel the company holiday party, replace it with something low-cost and personal, like a cookie reception with homemade goodies supplied by willing employees who like to bake.
8. Set up a wrapping station in the break room, complete with a big table, tape and scissors. Invite employees to spend their breaks wrapping their gifts with their own paper. If you have a mailroom, let employees drop off their stamped packages there instead of having to stand in line at the post office.
9. Start a listserv for employees who might have to spend the holidays alone or who will work on Christmas or New Year’s Day. They can share complaints and coping skills. Even better, they might decide to celebrate together.
10. Coach managers to recognize employees for their extra effort during the stressful last weeks of the year. An oral or written “thank you,” a memo to the staff congratulating them for a success or an impromptu team lunch—on the boss—can go a long way toward helping employees feel their work is appreciated during these tough times.
