The festive excitement and twinkly lights that put a smile on faces in December comes to a crash in January when people are back in work, on cold dark mornings and with the debt of Christmas hanging over them.
Employers note that there is an increase in sickness absence following the return to work after the Christmas break. Of course we all know that the winter bugs are doing their rounds, but employers need to try and distinguish between genuine illnesses or whether it’s the January blues.
As an employer, we recommend that return to work interviews are carried out after each period of absence. They do not have to be time consuming and it has been shown that return to work interviews are one of the most effective interventions in facilitating reliable employee attendance.
Holding the meetings displays to employees that the business is noticing their absences and therefore discourages casual absence. If an employee knows that they have to sit with their manager on their return from sick leave, it may discourage employees from taking days off, if they can come in to work also, this can help flag up and identify any underlying cases of absences.
It is worthwhile for the employer to keep a note of the days that are being taken off, for instance, is there a pattern occurring? For example, every Friday and Monday off.
It is reported that around half of workers plan a major work change in the New Year. It is important that managers find a way to keep their staff happy and motivated in their current roles, to avoid the risk of losing good workers. A suggestion would be to find out what their goals and aims are for the coming year and see if these can be supported by the business.
We spend more time in work than we do with our friends and family, so it’s important that staff don’t have the attitude of ‘let’s just make it through the week’. Try and make the working week an enjoyable week by setting positive weekly goals to work towards.
Make sure staff take regular breaks even if it is just going to make a much needed cuppa. Encourage staff to go and speak with colleagues rather than just sending an email. Not only will this get them moving it will also help colleagues build a relationship.
Think about changing working practices. At the start of each day or a Monday morning, set aside 15 minutes to reassess task lists and plan effectively. This is a good New Year’s resolution to try and keep.
The common theme on getting healthy for the new year can be a way to start the new year off with your staff. How about helping your staff with the resolution by offering them fruit as a snack? Offering high energy snacks which don’t cause the same post eating slump of crisps and chocolate can be a winning formula for you and your employees.
One small but important gesture that keeps staff morale high is saying “good morning” and “thank you“. It’s the little things that count.