Successful companies demonstrate that those who know how to reduce staff absenteeism enjoy competitive advantages in the market, ranging from cost savings and reduced organisational burden to improved employer branding. However, one key factor in successful absenteeism management is often still not given enough recognition.
Psychogenic (psychologically induced) absenteeism: a serious problem
Increasing demands on employees in terms of flexibility and mobility, the intensification and consolidation of work, greater interconnection and cooperation between people and machines, and rising cognitive and emotional strain – all of this leads to psychological stress that many employees find difficult to cope with. The results are evident in the absenteeism and Health reports According to the Federal Government and various health insurance providers (e.g. AOK, DAK, TK), the number of days of incapacity for work, disability pensions and early retirement due to mental health issues is rising steadily. It is no coincidence that mental health risk assessments have been a legal requirement since 2014.
Absenteeism is costly: lost value creation, overtime, training time and, in some cases, excessive workload for colleagues compensating for absences, continued payment of wages, additional organisational effort, contractual penalties in the event of delivery difficulties and other opportunity costs. Of particular significance are the days of incapacity for work due to psychological causes (sick leave days) accounting for approximately 17 % of all sick leave days and approximately 38 sick leave days per case of illness (the average for all cases of illness is 13 sick leave days). Bearing in mind that sick leave days due to musculoskeletal disorders (approximately 22 % of all sick leave days, 20 sick days per case) – and, particularly within the main category of „back disorders“, are largely (partly) psychologically induced – the psychological component takes on even greater significance in terms of absenteeism. Sleep disorders are also relevant in this context. They have been on the rise in Western industrialised nations for years. Currently, around 35 million people in Germany suffer from them, which corresponds to 42 % of the population. Of these, 15 %–20 % require treatment. Around three-quarters of all sleep problems are psychogenic insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up). Although the resulting absenteeism is relatively low, a 2017 DAK employee survey shows that 3.7 % of all employees did not turn up for work due to sleep disorders. Even when employees are present at work, sleep disorders cause major problems: not only is performance impaired, but the risk of accidents and injuries also increases, resulting in further absences which, however, are not statistically attributed to psychological factors.
How can psychogenic absenteeism be effectively reduced within a company?
Of course, the best way to do this is by changing the conditions identified as relevant. The 2017 baua study on mental health in the workplace uses a scoping review and staff surveys to identify the working conditions most relevant to mental health and sets these out in 4 subject areas structured as follows:
- Work task
- Working hours
- Leadership and Organisation
- Physical Environment and Human-Technology Interaction
The Focus lies in the workplace conditions. Changing these in such a way as to reduce pathogenic (disease-causing) influences and enhance salutogenic (health-promoting) factors is an absolute must, with no ifs or buts; unfortunately, this is often not addressed in workplace practice. One reason for this is that system-wide components need to be changed, such as: corporate culture, organisational structure and processes, staffing structure, remuneration systems, workplace design and ergonomics, the allocation of tasks and resources, leadership and working atmosphere, economic circumstances and job security, etc. This effort is often avoided.
Effective A key factor in resolving this problem is the fact that a large proportion of these „workplace conditions“ and „employee behaviour“ influence one another. Therefore, psychogenic absenteeism can also be reduced through measures that address the issue at its source: amongst employees at risk of taking sick leave. These measures promote salutogenic attitudes and behaviours, act as a preventative against psychogenic incapacity for work, and have a positive influence on health-related workplace conditions. These, in turn, have a health-promoting effect on employees.
A modular approach includes, for example:
- Absenteeism analysis, tailored to the specific needs of each company.
- Mental health risk assessment.
- Setting S M A R T objectives.
- Estimation of the cost savings achieved through reduced absenteeism and the expected return on investment.
- Implementation and facilitation of health circles.
- Salutogenic attitude and behaviour training for staff (focusing on the prevention of mental health risks and building resilience to psychological demands), using methods that take effect quickly, are easy to teach and can be readily integrated into everyday life.
- Evaluation of the measures.
- Design of a salutogenic sustainability strategy.
Practical example:
Situation: In a medium-sized service company, absenteeism in 2016 stood at just under 8.5 % of scheduled working time; in departments D and F, it was even over 12 %, with a proportion of affected staff exceeding 60 %. A voluntary staff survey carried out in these two departments revealed that more than three-quarters of all absences were attributed to mental health issues, psychosomatic conditions or back problems (despite very good workplace ergonomics).
Planning and Objectives: All staff in Divisions D and F should be encouraged to take part in a salutogenic training programme during the first half of 2017, with the aim of reducing total absenteeism by at least one-third in the second half of the year. Participants in the training should learn to understand and recognise psychological stressors, and to master preventive and salutogenic self-help techniques.
Cross-functional groups of an average of 15 people were formed, tailored to the organisation’s working structure. For each group, four half-day training sessions were scheduled at four-week intervals, along with individual coaching sessions arranged by mutual agreement and based on specific criteria, and a follow-up review after eight weeks. A total of 60 people were expected to take part. The direct labour costs for absences in these areas amounted to €235,000 per annum. (When adding indirect costs, a factor of 1.2–2 should be applied, according to sample calculations.) In accordance with the above-mentioned one-third target, savings of just under €40,000 of this €235,000 were to be achieved in the second half of 2017 and just under €80,000 in 2018 – a multiple of the investment in training.
Organisation, content and methods: At a kick-off event, which provided information on the psychological factors behind absenteeism, its negative personal and organisational consequences, and useful personal strategies, staff were successfully encouraged to take part in the training. Each training session comprised the following elements: setting personal goals, theoretical input, practical exercises and evaluation, covering the following content: a practical explanation of how psychological stress works, an understanding of salutogenic and preventive concepts, raising awareness of individual factors contributing to psychological stress, and mastering individual preventive and salutogenic self-help techniques. The methods used drew on: embodiment-oriented concepts, hypno-imaginative techniques, impact-based approaches, solution-focused counselling and systemic constellation work.
Evaluation: Amongst more than 90 % of staff, the subjective assessment of success 8 weeks after the end of the training ranged between 7 and 9 success points on a scale of 0 to 9. Measured absenteeism fell by 42 % between July and October 2017. This bodes well for 2018.
