Knowledge@ASB: Management Dilemma

If staff are taking sick days, experts say, the illness is often within the organisation. Fairness – or lack of it – is a common cause of absenteeism, and taking days off may be a way for employees to even out the power imbalance. Some organisations and departments develop unhealthy norms around when it’s okay to take a “legitimate” sickie. The issue may leave managers counting the cost of lost productivity due to days off – but the prognosis is good for those who know how to tackle it.