HR leaders encouraged to discover, address root causes of absenteeism
Employees in the United States are the most likely to call in sick globally, according to a new report, highlighting a growing concern about absenteeism in the workplace.
Artisan recently analysed search data for 20 sick leave-related terms commonly used by employees when calling in sick, aiming to pinpoint the locations with the highest rates of absenteeism.
The United States logged the highest annual search volume, recording a total of 183,840 yearly searches made for sickness-related terms nationwide.
According to Artisan, there were 4,440 monthly searches for "how to call in sick" and 1,900 for "what to say when calling in sick."
"The data indicates that many Americans may be taking time off for reasons beyond illness," Artisan said on its website. "As a result, American businesses should assess employee attendance patterns and consider hiring artisans to mitigate productivity challenges caused by absenteeism."
The second-highest country with the most total yearly search volume for sick-related terms is the United Kingdom, with 126,240.
Artisan noted that the UK's total was just 45% fewer than the US, despite having a much smaller population.
"With 1,900 for 'how to call in sick' annually, it's clear UK businesses should begin to question the honesty of employee leave and assess the productivity of having human workers vs AI," Artisan noted.
Austria came in third, with 125,640 annual searches for sick-related terms, according to Artisan.
However, it noted that Austrian employees are "more transparent" about their sick leave, as there was an average of 9,900 monthly searches for "how to call in work due to illness."
"This suggests that Austrians may be more upfront about their need for time off, though it could also indicate a higher frequency of illness or burnout," Artisan said.
The other countries with the highest yearly search volume for sick-leave related terms are:
The high levels of sick leave-related searches worldwide could indicate an underlying issue of absenteeism in workplaces.
Absenteeism refers to the frequent absence of an employee, which can affect productivity and employee experience, according to ADP.
"As missed work time increases, other employees in the office may have to make up for the work not performed by employees who are absent, which also lowers overall productivity," ADP said. "This affects managers' productivity, too, as they spend hours per week adjusting workflows to keep things moving."
It added that absenteeism can also reduce profit margins in two ways:
Citing Circadian's Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer, ADP noted that unscheduled absenteeism may also cost the organisation roughly $3,600 annually for each hourly worker.
ADP advised HR leaders to discover and address the root causes of absenteeism, such as burnout, mental health issues, and childcare challenges.
And while not every reason for absenteeism can be avoided, Proactive MD noted on its website that there are some ways to prevent them at work. They are:
"By instituting some of these practices, however, you can create a work environment that gives employees more freedom and control over their schedules while addressing some of the most common causes of unscheduled absences," Proactive MD said on its website.
