With fluctuating insurance costs and an economy that’s still in the recovery process, odds are that you’re under a bit of pressure to try and keep health care costs down and productivity high. While we don’t have any clients experiencing problems with high rates of absenteeism, we do believe that encouraging healthy habits and managing stress is a win-win for employer and employee. With that in mind, we’ve compiled this list of seven easy ways your company can support the wellness of its staff and cut down on sick days. 
1.) Clean up! The dirtiest places in your office may surprise you. From your keyboard to the coffee maker, bacteria and germs can be so easily spread in an office environment. Keep sanitizing wipes around your workplace and be sure to follow these spring cleaning tips.
2.) Offer opportunities for in-house exercise. Whether it’s transforming an empty office into a break room or bringing in a yoga instructor, provide staff with the tools they need to stay active. If fitness isn’t in the budget, provide employees with some desk exercises they can do in the office or suggest a walking/running path nearby.
3.) Allow employees to make up missed time. Be flexible and allow your staff to make up the time they’ve been out of the office. We’d bet that most of your workforce would rather put in a few extra hours each day than use up their valuable vacation time!
4.) Provide the proper health resources. You don’t have to personally provide a full spectrum of wellness services, but know where to send employees that are struggling with problems like depression and grief counseling. All of these factors could contribute to an employee missing a lot of work.
5.) Hold a flu shot clinic. On average, employees miss ½ – 5 days of work per year because of the flu. The flu costs employers about $10.4 billion in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults.
Employees that receive the flu shot experience significantly fewer influenza symptoms, have fewer doctors’ visits, and miss fewer work days due to illness.
6.) Manage stress. It’s estimated that one million workers call in sick to work every day due to stress, with 75% of Americans considering their jobs stressful. Encourage employees to leave work on time, recognize when they go above and beyond, and be sure your staff knows where to go if they need to delegate work or ask for help.
7.) Encourage sick staff to stay home. When an employee is clearly visibly or verbally ill (or says they are), trust that they’re telling you the truth and take the appropriate measures to protect the rest of your staff. Sure, you may be missing that one individual for a few days, but it’s better than dealing with a contagious outbreak around the office.
If you do believe you have an unusually high rate of absenteeism, there is likely an underlying problem that is contributing to your staff’s use of paid time off. Consider whether it could be due to an unclean work environment, poor job satisfaction, unhealthy lifestyles, or employees taking advantage of an unclear PTO policy.
What’s your company’s attitude towards employee sick days? Leave us a comment below! 
