Absenteeism in call centres
It probably should not be surprising that absenteeism is a problem in some call centres.
Professional call centre specialists know that while some call centres create very fulfilling workplaces for agents, there are others that still today provide a less than ideal environment.
And where workers are stuck in an unfriendly environment, apart from the problem of unacceptable staff turnover rates, absenteeism is likely to be too high.
While staff turnover rates may be on the way down for some centres, many commentators are suggesting that sick leave is increasing across the call centre industry. In some cases, the figure being suggested is around 40% more absenteeism now compared with five years ago.
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To begin, it is important that attendance records be reviewed to be sure that an employee's sick-leave days are excessive compared to other employees. If a supervisor suspects that an employee is excessively absent, this can be confirmed through reviewing the attendance records.
If all indications show that an employee is excessively absent, the next step is to gather as much information as possible in order to get a clearer picture of the situation. The files for the individual should be reviewed and the immediate supervisor should document all available information on the particular employee's history.
It seems that the main reasons for unplanned absences include personal or family illness, work conditions and stress, and a sense of entitlement.
Call centres typically have a higher rate of unplanned absences to deal with, which increases workplace stress and decreases morale, as remaining employees are stretched thin to cover for absent co-workers.
Some medical doctors with specialist expertise and experience in workplace health, suggest that employees who work in call centres can be four times more likely than other employees to miss work for psychiatric conditions such as stress or depression.
In most call centres, the main causes of absenteeism include:
- Too much focus on quantity rather than quality of customer service;
- Abusive customers;
- An overuse of call monitoring, particularly where this is used punitively;
- Inadequate equipment that does not enable agents to do the job they are expected to do;
- Equipment failure; and
- Unsupportive management.
Some of the most effective techniques for reducing absenteeism are nothing more than good management. Thoughtful management of call centre people can go a long way towards improving attendance levels. Normally, such effective management would include:
- Listening to employee suggestions;
- Providing more training and relevant support;
- Decreasing the emphasis on statistics which focus on quantity not quality; and
- Improving the ‘people attitude’ of managers and supervisors.
In addition to absenteeism, there is now also presenteeism. This is an issue that has only recently been studied and measured. However, although it is a new word, it is not a new concept.
Presenteeism is defined as the occurrence of employees reporting to work when they are sick, and therefore unproductive while they are there. In addition to their own issues, these employees can pose a health risk to co-workers. In some call centres, dealing with individuals performing at less-than-optimal levels, often comes second to dealing with unscheduled absences, if any attention is paid to it at all.
