There are many factors that determine the success or failure of a business. For instance, one of the most crucial is the workforce. A well-trained workforce can make an important difference in the outcome of a business. The more healthy and happy employees are, the more likely it is that your company will succeed. However, this isn't necessarily a guarantee. This is because there are many employee-related problems that companies face that make it difficult to measure their success. The most common are absences, which occur when employees are absent over and above what is expected. Seeking online counselling by the best psychologists in India is recommended for identifying causes, reasons, and challenges and providing counselling to overcome them.

Absenteeism refers specifically to the employee's regular absence from work. It is usually intentional and does not have any valid reason. It is in addition to regular absences caused by factors like illness, vacations, or other personal obligations, absenteeism is more regular and without any reason. Although the occasional absence in a row doesn't typically create a problem, however, the absence of a worker especially when employees fail to appear at work in a sudden manner for prolonged durations of time. Although employers typically expect employees to be absent for a certain number of days per year, excessive absences may cause a decrease in productivity and could affect the company's finances, morale, and many other elements.

Reasons for Employee Absenteeism

There are typically a few principal reasons behind employee absence in the first spot:

• Engagement of employees is low.

Although it's not necessarily directly related, however, low morale, demotivation, and low motivation is often causes of absenteeism and other attrition issues. Employees who are able to feel connected to their workplace tend to be more productive than those who don't. Low or no engagement in the workplace is one of the primary reasons behind the absenteeism of employees.

• Unappreciation and lack of direction

It's hard to feel engaged when you aren't sure what's expected from you and how you will meet the team's objectives. You can't have positive morale if it is felt that you are not valued or appreciated. If employees are told that they are easily replaced or are not important to the company they will have a difficult time staying motivated and will be more likely to take sick leave even if they're not.

• Mental health concerns

The well-being of their employees has been a top priority for many organizations over the past few years, and even more so in the wake of the covid-19 epidemic. According to the report Managing Mental Health in the Workforce A New Job for HR Professionals "51 percent of employees complained of poorer mental health in the workplace since the beginning of the epidemic in the first quarter of this year, and 30% of workers were afraid to speak up about mental health issues because they fear being fired or even furloughed." Depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issues frequently result in employees feeling sick enough to be absent from work often.

• Burnout at work

Workloads that are too heavy can put unnecessary stress on employees. The burnout effect occurs when employees are exhausted from their work. It is usually subtle and can affect workers in a way they may not even notice. The majority of the time burnout in the workplace is not considered or is not given adequate importance.

• Employee Conflicts and workplace harassment

Conflicts and harassment in the workplace can affect employees' mental well-being. It can make a workplace an unproductive and toxic working environment. Many times, harassment goes unreported because the victims are not sure what constitutes workplace harassment, and what they should do in the event of experiencing it. Employees who are harassed by colleagues and/or supervisors tend to be less interested in their job and may be forced to leave work in order to avoid the issue.

Workplace Counselling for Reduction in Absenteeism

Absenteeism is a particularly challenging issue to deal with since there are legitimate and ineffective excuses for absenteeism. It is often difficult for employers to effectively control, monitor and reduce absence. If a company doesn't require an excuse in writing from doctors, it is difficult to tell whether an employee is sick and is absent from work. Workplace counselling by the best counselors at TalktoAngel is an effective strategy used by companies to reduce absenteeism.

However, employers need to think about the additional expenses associated with an employee who contracts an illness that makes the entire department or many customers sick. To reduce absences, some businesses provide incentives to employees who go to work, including paid time off or lotteries for employees who don't have unjustified absences for some time. Some companies might consider an approach that is more proactive, adopting policies that specifically address employees' health issues, such as:

• Physical health
• Psychological health
• The balance between work and home
• Environmental health
• Health and economics

The reasoning behind this strategy is that healthier, happier workers will feel more prepared and enthusiastic to go to work every day, leading to increased productivity and a higher level of morale of the individual employees as well as the overall team. While these strategies for employee wellness could be costly for implementation, and maintaining, they could be beneficial on the bottom line of a company and is good for business.

How EAP program can help in reducing absenteeism?

Every employer knows that employee absence is a huge issue. It can affect morale, productivity, and ultimately the bottom line of the business. The ongoing problem is how to keep absenteeism at bay and minimize it. When employees have to deal with stress-inducing daily life events they are impacted the ability of employees to remain active in their work. Stressful circumstances include issues with relationships and families’ physical illness or addictions, financial issues such as bankruptcy, foreclosure or identity theft, financial unemployment, and debts incurred due to spouses. If employees are enrolled in an anonymous, confidential, and employee assistance program (EAP) to obtain help for these problems they are more likely to confront their issues earlier and address their issues faster. Additionally, wellness and work-life programs that are part of the EAP are extremely beneficial for those who struggle to manage the pressure of juggling the demands of work and family.

Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, life coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Utkarsh Yadav, Psychologist