How to lower the sickness absence statistics

This question is for those who has a job in a big company.
How does YOUR company deal with this problem?

Mine has started a training program that employees can particpate once a week. Basically, we get paid 1 hour per week to go to the gym that we have in the building. We also tried to start a "5 a day"-fruit program. But apparently, it was too expensive...

Are there any effective ways to decrease the sickness absence?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It depends on the type of industry your work belongs to. Usually this can be handled by an Occupational Safety and Health department in your company. There's a lot of causes for sickness/absence. And once again, methods to reduce these depend on what type of industry your company is in.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by gaming

"exercise program"

Interesting, but how many sick days are taken where people are really, honestly sick? And how is exercise going to keep you from getting say, food poisoning?

Honestly, they're probably spending more money on that program than they need to. What they should do is work on a way to make it easier for people to take time off so these little "sick" days can be avoided.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The big companies should just put their money towards fast tracking research on altered genetics programs already, to start pumping out physically infallible humans. Maybe they'll have enough money left over to research a brainwashing program to indoctrinate people not to lie to their employers too.

Actually forget all that. Robots. Robots are the answer.

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Originally Posted by vemp

It depends on the type of industry your work belongs to. Usually this can be handled by an Occupational Safety and Health department in your company. There's a lot of causes for sickness/absence. And once again, methods to reduce these depend on what type of industry your company is in.

I work for the Department of Justice.

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The best way I can think of is to have sick day allowances. You're allowed to take x amount of sick days per year. If you don't take them, however, you get paid as if you worked x amount of days. Many companies do this already. This is the best way I can think of because it puts a consequence on taking a sick day. You're essentially losing money when you take off.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Hotobu

The best way I can think of is to have sick day allowances. You're allowed to take x amount of sick days per year. If you don't take them, however, you get paid as if you worked x amount of days. Many companies do this already. This is the best way I can think of because it puts a consequence on taking a sick day. You're essentially losing money when you take off.

I know my dad's employers have a certain amount of sick time and if you don't take it, then it rolls over to the next year. My dad has been working at his job for 17 years and can retire once he works there for 20 years and turns 50 (which means he'll have to work more than 20 years). However, my dad has only called in sick once b/c I had a severe case of pneumonia. His plan is to gather enough sick leaves to where he can take the whole year off before he retires and get paid for it. He'll have to work at least a week during that year to show that he hasn't quit, but it's still a sweet deal.

I have a couple of friends that work at a big chain store similar to Wal-Mart and their bosses require all absences to have a note from a doctor. If you take off a certain number of days w/o one then you're fired. There are a few exceptions, but this is a strict firm.

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Originally Posted by Visavi

I know my dad's employers have a certain amount of sick time and if you don't take it, then it rolls over to the next year. My dad has been working at his job for 17 years and can retire once he works there for 20 years and turns 50 (which means he'll have to work more than 20 years). However, my dad has only called in sick once b/c I had a severe case of pneumonia. His plan is to gather enough sick leaves to where he can take the whole year off before he retires and get paid for it. He'll have to work at least a week during that year to show that he hasn't quit, but it's still a sweet deal.

A teacher at my high school did just that, and I talked to another one who had accumulated over 250 sick days. It's pretty hilarious that they'd get payed for taking an entire year off, but I guess it makes up for all of the days they would have missed nicely.

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Originally Posted by gaming

This question is for those who has a job in a big company.
How does YOUR company deal with this problem?

Mine has started a training program that employees can particpate once a week. Basically, we get paid 1 hour per week to go to the gym that we have in the building. We also tried to start a "5 a day"-fruit program. But apparently, it was too expensive...

Are there any effective ways to decrease the sickness absence?

Hand washing. Hand washing is probably the easiest and most effective way someone can ward off sickness. Hands are an excellent cross-contaminator and are a highly effective way of transferring illness.

Signs that read "Employees must wash hands" are required in any food service business, why not other businesses? Washing your hands often, after you use the restrooms, after you sneeze, before and after you eat, etc. is an excellent way to minimize risk of infection.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The company I work for just offer overtime if there is a trend of alot of people calling in sick.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

That's the thing with the Federal Government. They whine about how much sick leave people take, and how it's being abused, but it's the government's fault. The old retirement plan allowed people to be paid for their accumulated sick leave when they retired, but under the new plan (anyone hired after 198X), you forfeit your sick leave when you retire. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm going to lose all that time I've earned anyway, I'm going to use as much as possible when I can.

It sucks for me right now because I'm a supervisor, and I'm in charge of a bunch of people who really do abuse their leave, so I have to be careful not to abuse my own. I sneak a day in here or there, but once I move into something non-supervisory where it's not essential that I be there everyday, I'll be much more likely to call in sick.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

According to my father the social services' reasonably effective way of deterring false sickies and such is to interview each person that takes one, asking them basic questions that any genuinely ill person could answer. For example, what exactly was wrong with them, how they sought treatment, whether or not they saw a doctor, etc.

It's pretty basic stuff, but the basic confrontation is supposedly enough to deter most people from pulling a false day simply because they'd have to directly lie to a manager's face. The phone is not acceptable; the worker has to sit down with a manager and go through a short interview about it.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by galen

Interesting, but how many sick days are taken where people are really, honestly sick? And how is exercise going to keep you from getting say, food poisoning?

Honestly, they're probably spending more money on that program than they need to. What they should do is work on a way to make it easier for people to take time off so these little "sick" days can be avoided.

Man, my sentiments EXACTLY.

Only a percentage are actually "sick" when they call out, using their sick days.

You know what large companies need to do? Instill a sense of fucking VALUE in their employees so they ENJOY coming in to work - so that they feel a sense of importance, and that their work matters.

Seriously. Make them ENJOY coming to work and they won't call out sick so fucking much. People call out sick when they think they're not important, I guess.

Or maybe I am really stupidly loyal to all the jobs I have. =/

I was speaking idiomatically.

Alot of tech industries has gyms in their own buildings or pre-paid membership to a gym so that their employees are fit. I see alot of tech people walking around at lunch or playing volleyball in their park. I don't know, this company seems very nice to their employees.

I work for the government, they don't really have anything to keep their employees in shape haha.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?