Workplace absenteeism is a major concern for American companies. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, unplanned absences cost American businesses an average of 2.8 million workdays every year, which is equivalent to a loss of nearly $74 billion. Moreover, losses resulting from disability claims, lost productivity, recruiting and training temporary employees can take an even greater toll. The effects of absenteeism are multi-dimensional, and businesses can’t afford NOT to invest in effective absence tracking and time management software.

Often, businesses have no way to track and understand the reasons employees miss work. We know that about two-thirds of absences are due to illness, stress or job dissatisfaction, but without insight into the exact reasons, it’s difficult to tackle the underlying problems and turn the trend around.

Most companies have broad policies around absence tracking, and it’s unclear exactly why employees are missing work. Cloud based absence tracking software solutions that enable employers to delineate between various reasons for time off requests in their policy configurations can provide information necessary to address and possibility resolve the reasons leading to high levels of absenteeism.

Additionally, employers must understand how to keep employees accountable and engaged. Efficient time and attendance tracking solutions offer detailed data about time spent on specific projects and tasks, giving managers more complete information to use during employee reviews, and more insight into what employees are spending their time doing. This helps in numerous ways:

1. If employees know time management and absence tracking will be used in their evaluations, they’ll be less likely to call in sick for less-than-legitimate reasons.
2. If employers have a clear picture of where employees are spending their time, they can work to eliminate time-consuming, low-value tasks and redirect resources to high-value work, which may be much more rewarding and engaging for employees.
3. By focusing on employees’ accomplishments rather than where they falling short, managers can begin to create a more positive, challenging workplace environment, which will help to eliminate job dissatisfaction. A positive environment can help alleviate other issues, as well, including stress and the resulting illnesses, further reducing absenteeism.
4. With a better understanding of workforce availability, managers will be able to schedule resources and staff projects with efficiency.

Effective time management and absence tracking solutions are centralized, automated and easy-to-use. Solutions that provide mobile access, intuitive interfaces, and reliable availability will be used more consistently by employees, and, ultimately, you’ll get better results.