Absent employees 'put strain on other staff'
When workers are absent from work, staff remaining in the office can be put under greater pressure, it has been claimed.
Gill Trevelyan, head of good practice services for employment relations firm Acas, said having significant numbers of employees absent from work can also make it difficult for the business to function effectively.
She added: "If you have already thought about how you might cover particular jobs and developed an absence policy then this can help you manage situations as they arise."
Ms Trevelyan went on to say that companies should hold a 'return to work discussion' for staff when they come back after an absence - so the employee knows they have been missed.
Research carried out by FirstCare this week indicated absence rates across the UK soared to record levels this week, with 12.5 per cent of the UK working population absent from work.
The unusually high levels have been attributed to a combination of an increase in coughs and colds, the effects of the Norovirus and the current cold weather.
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Filed: 08-01-2009
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