Has employee attendance plummeted at your organization in recent months? If you’ve discovered a major downturn in attendance along with reduced productivity and morale, it may be time to make some internal changes to your company’s practices and policies. When it comes to improving employee attendance, there are both monetary and non-monetary incentives that can make a positive impact on many levels. Educating your leadership team about different options is the first step to making long-lasting changes that aid in culture-building while increasing staff attendance, hiring, and retention outcomes. Here are four incentives to consider as you make changes within your organization:
Employee rewards and recognition programs.
Establishing a formalized employee rewards or recognition program can be one of the most effective ways to positively impact employee attendance. There are many examples of recognition programs that can elevate morale and incentivize employees to consistently be present in the workplace and motivated to perform their best. Some elements of these programs include various employee perks and bonuses, offering additional paid time off to long-tenured employees, and publicly recognizing loyal employees who have been with your organization for a year or more. Along similar lines, organizing employee gatherings or celebrations can bring staff together in a fun and collaborative way. By taking steps to show your appreciation and offer rewards for employee attendance, you can elevate morale within your organization and foster greater camaraderie between your leadership team and staff members.
Health benefits.
Research consistently shows that employer health benefits are directly connected with employee productivity and job satisfaction. Healthy employees are happy employees who can be fully present in their jobs without needing to take excessive sick time off. Various health benefits can impact employee attendance, including onsite wellness programs (such as yoga or Zumba classes), mental health counseling services, and health incentive programs, such as gym membership discounts. Identifying initiatives that appeal to the majority of your staff will be key to building a health and wellness program that has long-lasting benefits for all your employees, playing a direct role in helping them achieve optimal health and wellness both at work and in their personal lives. If you’re unsure of what health benefits to offer, consider surveying your staff so you can formulate a package that’s most relevant to their needs and preferences.
Flexible work hours.
It’s become obvious that offering flexible hours is essential for retaining a productive workforce at organizations in all industries. Flexible work hours can dramatically improve employees’ quality of life, as well as their attitudes towards work – directly affecting attendance. What’s wonderful about this incentive is that flexible hours can be offered in many forms, depending on your organization’s structure and workforce demands. For example, you can give employees the option to work in the mornings or evenings, or allow them to design their weekly schedule around their personal obligations. Rather than placing a focus on scheduling, shifting to an emphasis on “results achieved” will motivate employees to perform their best on their own terms. Boosting happiness and autonomy, attendance will naturally be improved as your employees will feel more empowered and productive within their roles.
Profit incentives.
Along the lines of monetary benefits, profit incentives can incentivize employees and make them feel valued for their talents and contributions in the workplace. One way to do this is by setting aside a percentage of your net profit and dividing it equally among employees. You can also offer the option to have profits contributed to employees’ retirement accounts. What’s effective about this incentive is that it promotes the idea of employees viewing themselves as owners in control of their own destiny. Wondering how exactly this relates to employee attendance? When employees know their performance has a direct impact on their employer’s profits, they will be more inclined to be actively involved in their day-to-day work and take advantage of opportunities to showcase their abilities.
At the root of most successful organizations is certainly strong employee attendance. However, as highlighted above, employee attendance is often predicated on many factors related to workplace culture, work-life balance, and earning opportunities. Establishing practices that invest in employees’ happiness and job satisfaction will pay off and ultimately result in better attendance over time. By implementing at least one or more of the practices discussed, your company can create a more vibrant and productive workplace in which every employee has the tools to thrive and perform their best.
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Until Next Time,
Your Staffing Partner, Darrin Rohr- President, CEO, and Chief Servant
Current owner of HH Staffing and Former Chief HR Officer for several successful Multinational Fortune 500 Companies. Brings a fresh perspective from decades of experience creating Great Workplace Cultures by building high-performance teams while leading and managing people from all different backgrounds. HH Staffing is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, and is uniquely positioned to serve both local and national clients.
