Workplace Health and Safety Practices

This assignment requires a thorough review and synthesis of academic literature focusing on workplace health and safety. It necessitates an understanding of key theories, models (e.g., Job Demands-Resources Model), factors influencing workplace health (psychological capital, depression), and strategies for improving safety practices. The analysis should draw upon diverse sources such as journal articles, reports, and books to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this field.

Running head: EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Topic: Professional Project on Employee Absenteeism and Its Affect in Absence Management
Mostly in Health Cares
Name of the student:
Name of the university:

1EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Executive Summary
This paper reflects the affects of excessive absences of the employees who are working for the
health care industry. In order to reduce the rate of extreme absence proper strategies are needed
to be developed in terms of employee engagement. It will help the healthcare industries to gain
effective revenue and business success as well from the competitive marketplace. In order to
conduct the research work accurate secondary sources are selected and based on that proper
research methodologies are also considered. The details of the research work are also elaborated
in this paper.

2EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................4
1.1.1 Aim.................................................................................................................................4
1.1.2 Objectives.......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Research questions.................................................................................................................5
2. Literature review..........................................................................................................................5
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Rate of employee absenteeism in healthcare industry....................................................6
2.1.2 Reason behind absenteeism............................................................................................8
2.2 Affect of absenteeism............................................................................................................8
2.3 Absence management in healthcare industry........................................................................9
2.4 Strategies to resolve the issues..............................................................................................9
3. Research Methodology..............................................................................................................10
3.1 Research philosophy............................................................................................................10
3.2 Research approach...............................................................................................................10
3.3 Data collection method........................................................................................................11
3.4 Research design...................................................................................................................13
3.5 Ethical consideration...........................................................................................................13
3.6 Limitations...........................................................................................................................14
4. Findings and analysis.................................................................................................................14
5. Discussion..................................................................................................................................15
6. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................15
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................16
References......................................................................................................................................16
Appendices....................................................................................................................................17

3EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
1. Introduction
In the world of international literature it is has been found that the status of the health
care workers are very weak rather in can be said that rate of employee absenteeism in the
healthcare industries are growing rapidly in the current days. On the other hand, the higher
authority is strictly providing high attention in this particular section of the healthcare industries.
It is the responsibility of the managing heads to make sure that the employees of the healthcare
industry are strictly engaged to their job roles (Duff et al., 2015). This report depicts the reason
behind employee absence in the healthcare industry and its affect in the entire industry.
Different set of information and in order to support those arguments accurate secondary
data are collected from valid resources during the preparation this report. After literature survey,
proper methodologies are to be selected by the researcher of the topic. The researcher is
responsible to collect accurate information and proper research approaches, design, and ethical
aspects as well for the development of the research work (Johns & Miraglia, 2015). In order to
conduct the research work, identification of the goals and analysis of those gaps are very much
important that has to be done by the researcher. After collecting data, the final findings are
analyzed accurately and represented in this report.
1.1 Research aim and objectives
1.1.1 Aim
The aim of the research is to identify the reasons of employee disengagement to their job
roles in the healthcare industries and the affect of absenteeism. From successful research
resultants the readers will be able understand the reasons for which the rate of absenteeism is

4EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
increasing tremendously and different approaches through which this issue can be mitigated are
also another aim of the research that has to be uncovered by the research work. Moreover, the
researcher is focused to establish a balances bridge to connect work, workforce and workplace I
the healthcare industry.
1.1.2 Objectives
The objectives of the research topic are as follows:
 To determine the reasons for which the rate of employee absenteeism is
increasing rapidly in healthcare industry
 To define the ways through which the absence is affecting the industrial outcomes
 To analyze the relationship between employee absence and industrial practices
1.2 Research questions
The set of research question developed for the research topic are as follows:
 What are the reasons for which the rate of employee absenteeism is increasing
tremendously in the healthcare industry?
 How the rate of employee absenteeism is affecting the outcome of the healthcare
industry?
 Are there any relationship between employee absence and industrial outcome

5EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
2. Literature review
2.1 Introduction
In the industrialized society workplace attendance and absenteeism of the employees are
identified as a fundamental issue that is needed to be mitigated accurately by the workplace
executives to gain competitive advantages and structures revenue. Loss of productivity and late
delivery of the requirements are the issues that affect the daily productivity of the healthcare
industry (Buzeti et al,. 2016). Additional burden or workload might also increase with the
workplace absence of the employees. In order to achieve local as well as international success
from the business boundary it is necessary for the marketing and management head of the
healthcare industries to identify the reasons of absences and its reason as well (Schaufeli & Taris,
2014). Even after identifying the absence the ways through which the rate of absence can be
mitigated are also highlighted and presented in this literature review. In order to engage the
employees to their job roles it is necessary to develop different programs and strategies as well
so that the rate of absence can be minimized.
2.1.1 Rate of employee absenteeism in healthcare industry
In the workplaces two different kinds of absence approaches are present such as planned
leave and unplanned leave however the rate of bo5th of these kinds of absence are growing
rapidly in the healthcare industry for which the deliverable of the industry is also getting
negatively affected (Touboulic & Walker, 2015). Absence from the workplace has a wide range
of repercussion on the workplace operation, functionalities and workers as well. The healthcare
industry is getting negatively affected due to this reason.

6EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
According to the statistical information collected from the resources the rate of absence
in the healthcare industry is as follows:
Year Rate of employee absence (daily)
1990 2.4%
1995 3.3 %
1998 2.7%
2005 7.9%
2010 8.1%
The other consequences of workplace absences include the following:
 Enhancement on cost
 Lower of morale
 Increment of workload
 Frustration of the manager and the supervisors
 Productivity loss
 Not achieved objectives
 Enhancement of training cost and key skill personnel loss
 Productivity and deliverable loss
The statistical information required for developing organizational decisions appropriately the
goals those have considered are environment, strategy, governance, people, culture and
infrastructure (Hopkins, Dawson& Veliziotis, 2016). The rate of response successfully indicated
in the year of 2016, implies the following:

7EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
 95.1% of the overall response
 Online response rate is 63.3%
 Undercount rate is 1.7%
2.1.2 Reason behind absenteeism
Mental stress: In some cases it has been found that in order to avoid risky situation and
mental stress the employees are not coming to the offices (Vickers, 2015). As the rate of
workplace pressure is increasing widely thus, the workplace injuries and illness are also
enhancing accordingly.
Workplace strategies: Due to lack of strategies in most of the case the employee does
not feel interested to their job roles (Carmeli, Dutton & Hardin, 2015). Due to this reason the rate
of absence is also increasing in the healthcare industries.
2.2 Affect of absenteeism
The employees with poor attendance always affect the workplace environment with lack
of the productivity and understanding as well. Strict guidelines are needed to be developed by the
management head to resolve the issues of excessive absences of the employees (Derks et al.,
2015). The effects are presented in the following section:
Continuity: The employees who are frequently absent in their workplaces prevents the
working groups to produce as per the requirement (Mishra, Boynton & Mishra, 2014).
Temporary employee absences are continuously replacing the number of employees in the
healthcare industry.

8EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Performance diminishes: The quality of performance will be diminished due to extreme
absence of the employees who are working for the healthcare industry.
Organizational conflict: Due to excessive absence the other issues that might rise are
inter-organizational and intra organizational conflicts.
2.3 Absence management in healthcare industry
In order to manage the rate of absence in the healthcare industry the factors those are
needed to be considered by the Human Resource manager of the organizations are as follows:
 Reducing the workplace pressure
 Locating facility
 Development of working conditions
 Implementation of organizational changes
 Task division based on designation
2.4 Strategies to resolve the issues
In order to resolve the issues the followings are the strategies those should be adopted:
Training and development: In order to keep the employees engaged to their job roles
accurate training and development programs in terms of business strategies are needed to be
developed by the management head of the healthcare industries (Paek et al., 2015).
Reward functions: Based on the organizational functionalities and operation appropriate
reward programs are needed to be developed to resolve increase the rate of employee
engagement and absence management in the healthcare industry (Demerouti, Bakker, & Gevers,
2015).

9EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Implementing future opportunities: Proper future opportunities are needed to be
developed by the workers of the healthcare industry (Mishra, Boynton & Mishra, 2014). It will
help the management head to gain effective revenue and measurable success as well.
3. Research Methodology
In order to conduct the research on employee absenteeism in the healthcare industries and
its affect in industrial deliverables, the researchers are needed to adopt accurate research
philosophy, approaches, and data collection methods and design as well. It is expected that if the
researcher will be able to identify all this aspects accurately then it will help to serve valid
resultants outcomes to the readers. Based on the research topic, the researchers are needed to
adopt the accurate solutions. The details of the research work are elaborated below.
3.1 Research philosophy
Three different types of research philosophies such as positivism, realism and
interpretivism are there those are widely used by the researchers while conducting the research
work. In order to understand the reality of the research work the researchers uses positivism
philosophy. In order to develop an accurate framework for the research topic considering the
collected scientific data and its analytical results positivism research approach is very much
useful. However, after study the details of the research topic it has been found that both the
interpretivism and realism research philosophies are not at all helpful from the research
perspectives. Thus in order to conduct the research topic accurately the researcher should adopt
the Positivism research philosophy.

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3.2 Research approach
Two different types of research approaches are there such as deductive and inductive
research approaches. However, based on the research topic the researcher is needed to select the
accurate approach. Deductive approach is completed with the help of former established theories
and information collected from different resources. It is expected that with the help of properly
collected data, the research gaps can be identified and mitigated simultaneously. The inductive
research approach is based upon real scientific research frameworks. In order to define the
reason of employee absenteeism the researcher will avoid the inductive approach because for
conducting research through inductive approach scientific data are needed to be collected which
is not possible for all the aspects. In order to design the research framework proper data
modeling is needed to be done considering deductive research approach because it helps the
researchers to learn more prominently about the research topic. In order to establish the
framework, the data are needed to be collected and designed accurately.
3.3 Data collection method
Two different types of data collections are there such as primary and secondary. Based on
the research topic, the research is needed to select the data collection method. The topic for this
research work is “Employee absenteeism and its affect in the healthcare industry”, which can be
conducted through both the primary and secondary data collection method. The primary data are
collected by establishing set of questionnaires and also through survey. Nominated participants
are allowed to take part in the survey questions.
However, in order to reach the research objectives the primary data collection approach is
not at all helpful because if the participants are found to have less knowledge about the topic
then the resultant will not at all be beneficial. For this particular research topic the researcher

11EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
should consider secondary data collection approach. Secondary data are collected from different
valid sources like journals, articles and books. For this particular research topic the researcher
should collect information from the already established and verified information discussed in the
books and journals.
The sources from which the secondary data collected are as follows:
[Online]
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/3B641F80D47793B2CA2581BD000F
8996/$File/10010_2016_17.pdf
[Online]
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/60EDC70E711ADFCDCA257EDE00
0F19F5/$File/10010_2014_15.pdf
[Online]
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/0BCB69DE782667DACA257D72001
14E5D/$File/abs_annual_report_2013_14_web.pdf
[Online]
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/9D60771C55580CEACA25804A0012
259E/$File/abs%20annual%20report%20text%202015-16.pdf]
Though the feedback of the participants would help the researchers to gain more effective
data however for this particular topic, the researcher should collect data through secondary data.
In case of quantitative data procedure the data are collected through conducting survey.
In order to evaluate the new introduction to the research topic, survey over the population is

12EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
referred to as one of the vital tools that are widely used by the researchers. Though interview is
the most appropriate tools but for this particular research topic the researcher is need to consider
quantitative data. On the other hand, in case of quantitative data procedures data are collected
through survey. As the researcher will adopt qualitative data because these are based upon
different measures such as attributes, characteristics, properties. The main difference for which
the researcher should select qualitative data over quantitative is that qualitative because it helps
to describe data. Qualitative data are those data which are helpful to measure and analysis the
researchers into account qualitative factors like size and scope of the research topic.
3.4 Research design
In order to accomplish the research topic with accurate information it is necessary for the
researcher to highlight proper research structure and sequential approach as well. Research
design is referred to as the most important part of any research work that helps to carry out and
develop the blue print of any research topic. Three different types of research designs are there
such as descriptive, explanatory and exploratory research design. It is the responsibility of the
researchers to adopt the most suitable research design so that the result can be explained widely.
In order to understand the effect of employee absence in the healthcare industry the researcher
should select explanatory design. The problems of the research are needed to be identified and
resolves accordingly. It is expected that with the help of Explanatory design the researchers will
be able to identify the research gaps and analyze them for resolving the issue. With the success
of the research, the researcher will be able to provide the details of the issues and their mitigation
approaches as well. Not only this but also, appropriate recommendations are also provided in this
report those are helpful to engage the employees of the healthcare industry to their job roles.

13EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
However, after identifying the research limitations possible steps are needed to be highlighted by
the researcher to reach the research objectives.
3.5 Ethical consideration
Before conducting the research work it is necessary for the researcher to consider the
research guidelines. It is necessary for the researchers to submit the collected information within
the estimated research deadlines. Confidentiality is another important thing that must be
considered by the researchers by avoiding its disclosure in front of the third party. Not only this
but also professionalism and honesty are the two other measures that must be adopted by the
researchers while conducting the research work.
3.6 Limitations
While conducting the research topic certain limitations are faced and those are as follows:
Lack of time: Due to lack of time the researchers have failed to identify and collect data
from accurate sources. For this reason all the gaps are not even identified and analyzed
accurately which might lead the research work towards partial success.
Lack of sources: Due to lack of sources all the valid secondary sources are not being
used by the researchers. The survey could have been much appropriate if all these data are
collected accurately.
4. Findings and analysis
From the finding and research analysis it has been defined that with the help of accurate
secondary sources and their analytical results the researcher will be able to identify the issues of
employee absenteeism in the healthcare industries and its affect as well. It has been found that

14EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
with the help of the analytical results the research would meet the research objectives and aim.
From the collected statistical data the number of absent employees in Australia can be identified
and in addition to this, with proper research methodology the issues can also be identified and
mitigated as well.
5. Discussion
From the secondary data it has been found that the issues of excessive absence of the
employees working in the healthcare industries and absence management system can be
established accurately. From the secondary data both the issues and their mitigation approaches
can be identified properly. After considering the research details it has been found that in order
to conduct the research work, 8 months are required and the research must be started from
research topic understanding. After understanding the research topic a literature review is needed
to be conducted to analyze different arguments about the excessive absenteeism and it affect in
healthcare deliverables.
6. Conclusion
From the overall discussion it can be concluded that work absenteeism in healthcare
industries is affecting the deliverable of the industry. Even, the healthcare facilities are
diminished with the extreme work place absence. Due to different illegitimate reasons and
legitimate reasons the workplace absence rate is increasing apparently. It has been expected that
if proper design, approaches and other aspects are selected then the researcher would be able to
meet the research objectives. Not only will this but also, after addressing the research objectives
and questionnaires the researcher be able to identify the appropriate challenges that the

15EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
healthcare industries are facing and the ways through which these issues can be mitigated. From
the research resultant the readers will be able to found that it is very much important to access
the main issues of work absenteeism. The research limitations and in order to combat the
limitations proper recommendations those are needed to be implemented are also elaborated in
this paper. Proper research methodologies and the findings and analysis re also encountered in
this paper.
Recommendations
Development of timeline or schedule: In order to avoid the issues of time management
and source management proper timeline is needed to be developed by the researchers so that the
issues of data collection and data analysis can be avoided accordingly. With the help of time
schedule or timeline the steps of research will become easier for the researchers to understand.
Implementation of research objective: At the very initiation phase the researchers are
required to develop research objectives and research goal. It is necessary for the researchers to
understand the objectives accurately so that based upon that the research work can be conducted.
Selection of appropriate sources: In order to conduct the research work appropriately,
before starting the research it is necessary for the researchers to highlight secondary sources in
terms of journals, books and articles. It is expected that in order to accomplish the research work
the selection is very much important that has to be done.

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Appendices

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