Investigating Absenteeism: Causes, Problems, and Strategies

This report investigates employee absenteeism, a costly issue within organizations, analyzing its causes, problems, and potential strategies for mitigation. It explores various factors contributing to absenteeism, including illness, home circumstances, non-sickness related issues, health status, and salary. The report examines the financial and non-financial costs associated with absenteeism, such as loss of productivity, sick pay, and decreased employee morale. The research methodology encompasses a realistic research philosophy, utilizing an axiology paradigm to achieve the research objectives. The report aims to identify the main causes of absenteeism, analyze the problems it creates, and recommend strategies for managing and reducing it, ultimately increasing organizational effectiveness. The report covers the literature review, research methodology and ethical considerations.

Running head: ABSENTEEISM
Investigating why absence rates are above industry average
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ABSENTEEISM
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Purpose statement...................................................................................................................2
Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................2
Research questions.................................................................................................................3
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................4
Absenteeism...........................................................................................................................4
Causes of absenteeism............................................................................................................4
Illness or injury......................................................................................................................4
Home circumstances..............................................................................................................5
Non sickness...........................................................................................................................5
Health status...........................................................................................................................5
Salary......................................................................................................................................6
Absenteeism cost....................................................................................................................6
Research methodology...............................................................................................................8
Introduction............................................................................................................................8
Paradigm of enquiry...............................................................................................................8
Research philosophy..............................................................................................................9
Research approach.................................................................................................................9
Research strategy.................................................................................................................10
Data collection.....................................................................................................................10
Sample selection...................................................................................................................11

2ABSENTEEISM
Data analysis technique........................................................................................................11
Ethical issues........................................................................................................................12
Research Timeline................................................................................................................12
Reference List..........................................................................................................................14

3ABSENTEEISM
Introduction
The absenteeism among the employees is costly within the organizational structure, as
it results in lower rate of productivity. The high rate of absenteeism within the organization
will have a greater impact on the cost that has to be borne by them (Lofstrom, Bates and
Parker 2014). The direct cost for the organization that they have to provide for the
absenteeism of the employees are the sick pay, loss of production and the covering up of the
work with the help of supporting staffs. The indirect cost that needs to be borne by the
organization is lower morale that is present within the employees due to the sickness, which
results in lower level of customer satisfaction (Aghion, Hemous and Kharroubi 2014). The
other effects of absenteeism is that it hampers the flow of work, which reduces the quality of
work within the organization.
Purpose statement
The purpose of the research process will be to investigate the reason behind the high
rate of absence within the industry. The research will be identifying the main causes that lead
to the higher rate of absenteeism within the organizations so that proper recommendations
can be provided to mitigate it. It will also deal with the major causes that lead to a higher rate
of absenteeism within the organization, which hampers the level of productivity (Baldamus
2013).
Research aim and objectives
The research will be based on the following aims and objectives:
 To investigate the factors that lead to high rate of absenteeism within the industry
 To analyse the problems that are faced by the organization due to higher rate of
absence
 To analyse the cost that the organization incurs due to high rate of absenteeism

4ABSENTEEISM
 To recommend strategies so that the organization can manage the rate of absenteeism
and increase its effectiveness
Research questions
The research will be based on the following questions:
1. What are the factors that lead to a higher rate of absenteeism within the industry?
2. What are the problems that are faced by the organization due to high level of
absenteeism?
3. What are the strategies that can help in mitigating the rate of absenteeism within the
organization?

5ABSENTEEISM
Literature Review
Absenteeism
It can be defined as the time that is lost due to the sickness or other reasons for which
the organization has to make a payment to the employees. It also includes different variants
such as involuntary and voluntary absence (Gosselin, Lemvre and Corneil 2013). The
involuntary absence is the situation where the employees are genuinely suffering from some
ailments and are not able to able the work whereas the voluntary absence is when the
employees do not have the motivation to attend the work within the organization (Kocakulah
et al. 2016).
Causes of absenteeism
The rate of absenteeism among the employees may be unplanned or planned in nature
and may result in long or short-term. The absents that are made on a short term basis is due to
the genuine sicknesses or may be due to other issues that may prevalent within the family
members. The long term absence from the work place may result due to the negative feelings
that the employees may develop within the organization or due to the case of genuine
illnesses (Wada et al. 2013).
Illness or injury
The most common form of absenteeism from the work place by the employees may
result due to illness such as cold or stress from working within the organization. The
development of stress may be due to the pain on the body parts of the employees that may be
developed during their course of work. This may result in taking leaves from the organization
so that they can be fit and join back the services so that they can serve in a better manner
(Cucchiella, Gastaldi and Ranieri 2014).

6ABSENTEEISM
Home circumstances
According to a survey that was conducted by CIPD in 2004, it showed that
circumstances in the homely environment of the employees were an important factor that
caused a high rate of absenteeism among the employees. The care of the elderly people and
the sick children are an important part in the lives of the employees, which showed their
inability in attending the work (Vuong, Wei and Beverly 2015). Most of the female
employees were absent due to the increase in the size of the family along with the dependent
children that were present in the houses. The survey conducted by Industrial Society showed
that more than half of the managers were absent due to the persistent sickness hat was present
among their family along with their domestic responsibilities. The leading cause of
absenteeism was due to the difficulty that they had with the small children, as they were
dependent on their parents (Zander et al. 2015).
Non sickness
There has been a high rise in the absenteeism of the employees due to non-sickness
related problems as well. It was seen that the dissatisfaction among the employees regarding
the work that they were doing within the organization is a major cause for the rise of
absenteeism in the work place. The repetitiveness of the task that are being given in the work
place to the employees may lead to dissatisfaction, which may result in frequent rate of
absenteeism. Apart from the repetitive structure of the job, the employees are also absent due
to the excessive hours that they have to work apart from their normal shift timings. This
results in exhausting their health, which also leads to a higher rate of absenteeism (Jurado-
Gámez et al. 2015).
Health status
The status of health among the employees is a major factor, as poor health among the
employees lead to a higher rate of absenteeism. The people who are ill on a chronic manner

7ABSENTEEISM
may be absent more than often within the organization due to the daily check-ups that they
need to do. The employees with better health may result in decreasing the rate of absenteeism
within the organization. The absence among the employees may result due to the illness or
the physical disease that the employees are suffering, which needs to be taken in to account
by the organizations (Asfaw, Chang and Ray 2014).
Salary
Another major factor for the cause of absenteeism among the employees is the
remuneration that is being provided to them. Most of the employees may feel that the
remuneration is not up to the standard or according to their level of skills and knowledge that
they possess within the organization (Bierla, Huver and Richard 2013). The salary that needs
to be provided to the employees has to be similar to the other organizations that are within the
industry. If this factor is not taken in to consideration, it may result in causing a higher rate of
absenteeism among the employees, as they would want to switch to another organization
within the industry. This will affect the productivity level of the organization, as most of the
employees will not be motivated to continue their performance within the organization
(Belita, Mbindyo and English 2013).
Absenteeism cost
A survey that was conducted in the United Kingdom showed that the rise in the
number of absences among the employees results in increasing the cost within the
organisation as well. These costs are not only related to financial but are non-financial costs
as well. The financial cost that are incurred by the organizations are that they need to pay
salaries to the employees during their period of absence (Sharma, Singh and Kishore 2014).
These employees are not productive during their absence from the organizations. The non-
financial costs that the employers have to bear is that the morale of the employees who are
present are low, which needs to be boosted due to the rise in the rate of absenteeism. When

8ABSENTEEISM
the costs are calculated at the end of the financial year, it can be seen that there is an increase
in the occupational sick pay, which the organizations need to bear such as the statutory sick
pay (Zander et al. 2015). The cost of labour that is being replaced and the overtime that the
employees were doing in the work place accounted for less that 50 percent. One of the most
important cost that needs to be borne by the organization for absenteeism is that the labour
needs to be replaced. This may lead to a double payment to the employee, as the person with
the required skills and knowledge is not present within the organization (Wada et al. 2013).

9ABSENTEEISM
Research methodology
Introduction
The use of the research methods within the process helps in collecting the information
that are relevant so that it can help in defining the research variables in a proper manner. This
chapter highlights the appropriate research methods that will help in achieving better
outcomes for the process. It will highlight the research philosophy, strategy along with the
method of collecting the data and the process of analysis (Mackey and Gass 2015).
Paradigm of enquiry
The paradigm of the research will help in understanding the nature in which the
research will be conducted. There are basically three types of paradigms such as ontology
that helps in understanding the nature of reality. In this process, the duty of the researcher is
to identify the reality that is present within the process of the research. This can be achieved
by breaking down the variables that are present within the process of research. The
epistemology type of the research paradigm allows the researcher in testing the statements in
an empirical manner (Glesne 2015). In this process, the statements need to be verified
through the data so that the objectives taken up in the process of research can be tested as
well. It also takes in to consideration the interests and the feelings of the researcher while the
test are being done. The axiology method of research paradigm allows the researcher in
gathering the data so that the objectives of the process can be met by analysing it. This study
has to be done by using the theories, knowledge background along with the hypothesis that
has been taken up in the process of the research (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015).
This particular research will be using the axiology paradigm where the researcher will
be achieving the objectives of the process of research by testing the hypothesis that will be
taken up for the research so that finite conclusion can be reached for the research.

10ABSENTEEISM
Research philosophy
It is the process through which the information regarding the research are developed.
It also allows the researcher in gathering the information that are authentic in nature and are
according to the topic of the research. The most common types of philosophies used in the
process of research are positivism, realism and interpretivism (Brinkmann 2014). The
positivism philosophy allows the researcher in collecting the data that are based on facts so
that it can result in enhancing the quality of the research. The philosophy known as
interpretivism allows the research to be done by gathering the data that are constructed in a
social manner. The philosophy known as realism is a combination of the other two
philosophies, as it allows the researcher in collecting the information that are constructed in a
social manner and are based on facts as well (Flick 2015).
This process of research will be conducted based on realism philosophy, as it will
allow the researcher in collecting the information that are based on facts and are socially
constructed as well.
Research approach
The approach of the research will allow the researcher in gaining better knowledge
regarding the topic that has been taken up in the research. The approach of the research
depends mainly on the variable and the topic that has been taken up for the research. There
are two types of research approach known as inductive and deductive approach (Silverman
2016). The inductive approach helps the researcher in developing new theories and models so
that the information can be collected with respect to the variables present in the research
process. It helps the research to be done in a specific manner. The deductive approach on the
contrary, helps the researcher in taking up the models and theories that are already published
so that it can provide necessary information regarding the research topic (Vaioleti 2016).

11ABSENTEEISM
This particular research will be based on deductive approach, which will allow the
researcher in saving the expenses and the time for the research by using the models and
theories that are already published so that relevant information can be collected for the
research process.
Research strategy
The use of the proper research strategy allows the researcher in using the information
that are more specific and are according to the topic that has been chosen for the process of
research. The most commonly used strategy for the process of research are case study,
interview, focus groups and surveys. The secondary process of research that will help in
collecting the information in an authentic manner is through the use of case studies and focus
groups (Smith 2015). The research that uses the primary method in collecting the data can be
done with the help of surveys and interviews. This method can be used with the help of a set
of questionnaires that are organized in a proper manner. The questionnaires are provided to
the target sample so that their responses can be collected in a proper manner. The collected of
the responses will allow the researcher in using the primary method where it will be analysed
with the help of certain tools (Panneerselvam 2014).
This particular research will be using the primary method of gathering the data so that
the responses can be analysed by the researcher and the outcome of the research can be
provided as well.
Data collection
It is one of the most important method, as it allows the researcher in understanding the
proper methods that will allow in collecting the data properly. It is important to the researcher
in using the primary and the secondary method of collecting the data so that proper
information can be used regarding the topic that has been selected in the process of research