According to statistics, 16% of people aged 18 to 30 took more than 10 sick days in 2017. If you manage a company that has a much higher percentage of people taking more than 10 days of sick leave than the average, you may want to begin questioning why. Obviously, missed days can drastically affect your company's bottom line; however, there may be something more serious going on. If this suggestion has triggered an, "oh my!" reaction, here's what your company can do to find out.
1. Is the Workplace Environment Toxic? Hire a Toxicology Consulting Service
Your company will need to hire a toxicology consulting service to test the air quality and building materials for possible contamination of various things like chemicals, toxins, and substances. You'll need to send this person a complete list of all known chemicals and agents that are used in your facility, as well as the building plans, which should include a list of building materials used during construction. The building plans should also include the locations and depth measurements for any utilities, such as gas and sewer lines.
If your facility has safety devices such as radon and carbon monoxide detectors, documentation for these devices will be needed as well, including recent calibration and test results. Your county's tax assessment office should have a copy of the building plans and materials lists. Your company's safety officer should have a copy of the calibration and test results of the various monitoring devices within your facility. After researching, the toxicology consultant will develop a plan to eliminate or reduce the risks, if necessary.
2. Is the Workplace Too Stressful? Hire a Counselor
If the toxicology consultant does not find anything concerning about the workplace environment and does not believe there to be any toxins in the facility, the next thing to consider is whether or not the workplace is too stressful. Stress in the workplace can make it difficult for employees to want to go to work every day of the year. Hire a mental health counselor to give your employees someone to talk with if they feel overly stressed during the workday.
Individual counseling with a counselor can effectively reduce the amount of stress they feel, which may help to improve their attendance record. One way that counselors help those who are under stress is with cognitive behavioral therapy, which will teach employees how to cope with stressors in a different way. For more information, contact your local toxicology consulting services.