MIKE DRUMMOND
Staff Writer
In his 19 years as a baggage handler for US Airways, Michael Pruitt had always worked during the travel-heavy holidays. But last week, he and hundreds of co-workers called in sick. The company says bad weather and no-shows stranded thousands of passengers and suitcases during the Christmas weekend.
"I think the company brought this on itself by running an operation that was severely short-staffed to begin with," says Pruitt, of Charlotte.
The US Airways fiasco is an extreme example of how disruptive employee absenteeism can be to organizations. And the increased use of sick time among U.S. employees, especially toward the end of the year, could compel companies to review sick-time policies, experts say.
The annual cost of unscheduled employee absences can range from an estimated $60,000 for small employers to more than a million dollars for large companies, according to human resources firm CCH Inc. in Riverwoods, Ill.
In its national annual survey of 305 companies of all sizes, CCH found that the absenteeism rate rose to 2.4 percent in 2004, up from 1.9 percent in 2003. The average annual per-employee cost of absenteeism is $610.
Staged sick-outs typically occur in
organizations with labor disputes and low morale, human resources experts say. Earlier this year, 115 members of the Atlantic City Police Department called in sick for three days over a contract dispute. The city said the absences forced remaining officers to work overtime, costing the city $13,000.
US Airways workers and officials say last week's no-show was not coordinated, and the company said it had no estimate for the cost.
Even in the best organizations in the best of times, some workers will abuse sick-leave policies and take time off for reasons other than illness.
But 2004 has been a year of low morale related to increased workloads and lackluster raises. Combined with inflexible work schedules and ineffective absentee policies, more workers played hooky, officials at CCH say.
"It was a way of getting a bonus when there was no money for bonuses," said Lori Rosen, a CCH workplace analyst and author of "HR Networking: Work-Life Benefits."
Moreover, fewer employers are allowing workers to carry over sick time to the next year -- 37 percent today, compared with 51 percent in 2000, according to CCH. The typical worker accrues six to 10 sick days a year.
No longer entitled to a horde of sick days, many employees are saying, "I'd rather use it than lose it," she said.
Charlotte-area companies are bucking the national trend, as more employers are allowing employees to bank unused sick time to curb year-end absenteeism, according to a survey from human resources firm The Employers Association.
"If you have a use-it-or-lose-it policy, people tend to use it at end of year," said company president Kenny Colbert, who added that organizations that buy back or roll over days tend to have fewer absenteeism problems.
North Carolina's government allows its 100,000-plus employees to bank sick leave toward retirement. The system reduces absenteeism, particularly among the career-minded, said Shari Howard, a human resources official at the state's personnel office.
More companies are offering paid time off, or a bucket of days off for any reason, to break the cycle of unscheduled absences during holidays and to establish more predictable work schedules.
"That way employees don't feel they have to lie to use their sick days," Rosen said. "It's treating employees more like adults."
Instead of paid days off, US Airways flight attendants accrue vacation and sick time, which can be rolled over year after year, said Charlotte flight attendant leader Mike Flores.
As part of negotiated concessions, however, flight attendants would be able to use 70 percent of sick hours accrued, Flores said.
US Airways in November announced that employees who worked without calling in sick or late between Nov. 18 and Jan. 5 were eligible for two free airline passes.
The airline billed the program as "an incentive for working your scheduled shift."
After last week's no-show, airline officials said they would investigate and noted that the company could force those who called in sick to produce a doctor's note.
Deborah Kerry, director of the Knowledge Center at the Society for Human Resource Management, said that's not a realistic or very good idea.
Retroactively verifying sickness would leave a punitive stench in an already tense labor-management atmosphere, she noted. Moreover, it could compel employees who are really sick to report for duty and infect others.
"The term for that is `presenteeism,' " she said. "You don't want sick people showing up at work."
Most employees who fail to show up for work aren't physically ill.
Of the unscheduled absences:
• 38 percent are for personal Illness.
• 23 percent family issues.
• 18 percent personal needs.
• 11 percent stress.
• 10 percent because they feel they're owed it.
2004 CCH
Staff Writer
In his 19 years as a baggage handler for US Airways, Michael Pruitt had always worked during the travel-heavy holidays. But last week, he and hundreds of co-workers called in sick. The company says bad weather and no-shows stranded thousands of passengers and suitcases during the Christmas weekend.
"I think the company brought this on itself by running an operation that was severely short-staffed to begin with," says Pruitt, of Charlotte.
The US Airways fiasco is an extreme example of how disruptive employee absenteeism can be to organizations. And the increased use of sick time among U.S. employees, especially toward the end of the year, could compel companies to review sick-time policies, experts say.
The annual cost of unscheduled employee absences can range from an estimated $60,000 for small employers to more than a million dollars for large companies, according to human resources firm CCH Inc. in Riverwoods, Ill.
In its national annual survey of 305 companies of all sizes, CCH found that the absenteeism rate rose to 2.4 percent in 2004, up from 1.9 percent in 2003. The average annual per-employee cost of absenteeism is $610.
Staged sick-outs typically occur in
organizations with labor disputes and low morale, human resources experts say. Earlier this year, 115 members of the Atlantic City Police Department called in sick for three days over a contract dispute. The city said the absences forced remaining officers to work overtime, costing the city $13,000.
US Airways workers and officials say last week's no-show was not coordinated, and the company said it had no estimate for the cost.
Even in the best organizations in the best of times, some workers will abuse sick-leave policies and take time off for reasons other than illness.
But 2004 has been a year of low morale related to increased workloads and lackluster raises. Combined with inflexible work schedules and ineffective absentee policies, more workers played hooky, officials at CCH say.
"It was a way of getting a bonus when there was no money for bonuses," said Lori Rosen, a CCH workplace analyst and author of "HR Networking: Work-Life Benefits."
Moreover, fewer employers are allowing workers to carry over sick time to the next year -- 37 percent today, compared with 51 percent in 2000, according to CCH. The typical worker accrues six to 10 sick days a year.
No longer entitled to a horde of sick days, many employees are saying, "I'd rather use it than lose it," she said.
Charlotte-area companies are bucking the national trend, as more employers are allowing employees to bank unused sick time to curb year-end absenteeism, according to a survey from human resources firm The Employers Association.
"If you have a use-it-or-lose-it policy, people tend to use it at end of year," said company president Kenny Colbert, who added that organizations that buy back or roll over days tend to have fewer absenteeism problems.
North Carolina's government allows its 100,000-plus employees to bank sick leave toward retirement. The system reduces absenteeism, particularly among the career-minded, said Shari Howard, a human resources official at the state's personnel office.
More companies are offering paid time off, or a bucket of days off for any reason, to break the cycle of unscheduled absences during holidays and to establish more predictable work schedules.
"That way employees don't feel they have to lie to use their sick days," Rosen said. "It's treating employees more like adults."
Instead of paid days off, US Airways flight attendants accrue vacation and sick time, which can be rolled over year after year, said Charlotte flight attendant leader Mike Flores.
As part of negotiated concessions, however, flight attendants would be able to use 70 percent of sick hours accrued, Flores said.
US Airways in November announced that employees who worked without calling in sick or late between Nov. 18 and Jan. 5 were eligible for two free airline passes.
The airline billed the program as "an incentive for working your scheduled shift."
After last week's no-show, airline officials said they would investigate and noted that the company could force those who called in sick to produce a doctor's note.
Deborah Kerry, director of the Knowledge Center at the Society for Human Resource Management, said that's not a realistic or very good idea.
Retroactively verifying sickness would leave a punitive stench in an already tense labor-management atmosphere, she noted. Moreover, it could compel employees who are really sick to report for duty and infect others.
"The term for that is `presenteeism,' " she said. "You don't want sick people showing up at work."
Most employees who fail to show up for work aren't physically ill.
Of the unscheduled absences:
• 38 percent are for personal Illness.
• 23 percent family issues.
• 18 percent personal needs.
• 11 percent stress.
• 10 percent because they feel they're owed it.
2004 CCH
