You hire your staff to take care of the tasks your business needs, to the best of their professional ability. WIth that, you usually provide some structure to their working schedule and let the requirements be known – for example, you usually tell them at what hours they are to attend your office every day.
Yet it’s rare that every single employee will be there 100% of the time. This is because no matter how important the needs of your business are, and how noble your cause is, life can sometimes get in the way.
Of course, you won’t need to be instructed of that, especially because we all recently underwent one of the largest international in-person staff absences during eighteen months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this post, then, we’ll discuss how to deal with staff absences, preparing for them capably so even when the unexpected happens, it doesn’t have to be the end of your operational potential.
Finding Temp Workers
Temporary workers, referred through an agency, are more common than ever thanks to remote working. They can also head to your business in person and fill in for those who may be on vacation, or in some cases replace a certain part of your department for a little while. While these may be a little more expensive than your salaried workers, they won’t require benefits, can attend to basic tasks quite well, and are reliable in a pinch. So if you need them, then this can be a good place to start, and even if you never use the service, having it in your back pocket is always a good preparation to make.
Automated Tasks
In some cases, automating the tasks that employees use can be a healthy use of your time. This may mean ensuring data entry is utilized correctly via automated input forms, or that receipts tracking for worker expenses are verified through a digital scanning system that sends this information directly to your financial manager. Of course, the more you can lighten the load of your staff, the more you can defer some of the advanced tasks a trained worker might place their attention in. In addition, remote work provisions can help them focus on what really matters instead of repetitive administrative tasks.
Understanding Your Entitlements
It’s also healthy to consider the entitlements required of your firm. For instance, understanding unpaid leave entitlement will help you better cost out an absence and comply with the right employment law. In addition, finding the tough line between paying for a staff member who may be newly disabled, and when you can more easily let them go with an appropriate package and the right insurance compensation when it’s clear they might not be able to work is important. This way, you can properly handle sensitive situations that are tough for all involved.
With this advice, we hope you can deal with staff absences in the best possible way. They don’t have to sink your firm, but can be managed appropriately.
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