ABSENCE MANAGEMENT
Public sector summary in partnership with

2014

ABSENCE MANAGEMENT

ABSENCE MANAGEMENT

puBliC SECTor SuMMAry
Overall summary of findings
The findings of the CIPD’s 2014 Absence Management survey, conducted in partnership with Simplyhealth, show that the average level of employee absence has fallen compared with last year from 7.6 to 6.6 days per employee. Moreover, there is some indication of a fluctuating downward trend over the last few years. Positive findings suggest that organisations that actively engage in absence management and make changes to improve their approach do evaluate their efforts and generally report positive outcomes on absence levels. Our findings also imply that investments in well-being pay off. There has also been an increased focus on developing line manager capability to manage absence, an important finding given that line managers have primary responsible for short-term absence in two-thirds of organisations as well as long-term absence in half of organisations. Nevertheless, many of those who report line managers have responsibility for absence do not provide them with training and even fewer provide them with tailored support. Some organisations are clearly more proactive than others in their approach to managing absence and promoting well-being. While the vast majority have an absence management policy, record their employee absence rate, collect information on the causes of absence and provide one or more wellbeing benefit, fewer have a well-being strategy or targets to reduce absence and the majority do not evaluate the impact of their well-being spend. Just one in seven report attendance is driven by the board. This summary examines findings from the CIPD’s Absence Management survey for a fuller understanding of public sector efforts to reduce absence and the challenges they face. Organisations