Managing Absenteeism and Leave Abuse in the workplace

The programme

Programme overview

Absenteeism and leave abuse are without a doubt two of the most challenging employment management issues that employers struggle with on a continuous basis. Employers become despondent about the impact on productivity and service levels, and increasingly frustrated with employees who are unreliable and cannot be trusted to deliver. Looking for a quick fix when reaching the point where frustration levels become intolerable, is not the answer.

Managing absenteeism and leave abuse becomes increasingly important as the Labour Laws Amendment Act has come into effect with extended parental, adoption and commissioning parental leave. The reality is that workforce planning and production as well as labour relations processes to deal with these instances become more critical than ever. Managing absenteeism requires an integrated strategy and leave abuse must be stamped out unconditionally. We will take you through a detailed journey that addresses how to ensure that the correct legal and business approach is taken in managing these situations.

Who should attend

Who is this programme for?

Ratomac Managing Absenteeism and Leave Abuse in the workplace Training course is structured to benefit people who work in the labour relations sector including Business owners and managers, Human Resources Managers and Officers, Industrial relations officers, Labour Law practitioners, Shop Stewards and General Managers.

Learning outcomes

What you will learn

• Understand Impact: Recognize the challenges and impact of absenteeism and leave abuse on productivity and service levels.
• Identify Absenteeism Types: Learn to distinguish between authorized vs. unauthorized and voluntary vs. involuntary absenteeism, and understand their causes.
• Analyze Costs: Assess the financial and operational consequences of excessive sick leave and absenteeism.
• Develop Policies: Formulate effective company policies and procedures to manage absenteeism and leave abuse.
• Navigate Legal Frameworks: Understand the Labour Relations Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act, including requirements for various types of leave and medical certificates.
• Manage Persistent Absence: Identify and handle persistent and excessive absenteeism due to illness, disability, or unauthorized leave.
• Evaluate Leave Types: Differentiate between various types of leave and recognize patterns of leave abuse.
• Ensure Medical Certificate Validity: Determine the validity of medical certificates and understand the rules for medical practitioners.
• Conduct Return-to-Work Interviews: Implement effective strategies for return-to-work interviews and manage exhausted sick leave issues.
• Strategic Management: Develop and execute a strategic approach to managing absenteeism and leave abuse, using case studies and practical exercises.

Explore the programme

Detailed programme outline

Module 1: How to deal with absenteeism

• Introduction to absenteeism
• Understanding absenteeism
• Definition of absenteeism – authorized vs unauthorized
• Types of absenteeism – voluntary vs involuntary
• Causes of absenteeism – from leadership problems to medical issues
• Absenteeism costs and consequences of excessive sick leave
• Predictors of absenteeism in the workplace
• Company Policies, Procedures and Regulations
• Absence from Work and absence from overtime worked
• Absence after permission has been refused
• Desertion
• Incapacity & misconduct procedures

Module 2: Identifying absenteeism Issues

• Absenteeism scenarios
• Persistent and excessive absence due to illness and/or factors beyond the employee’s control
• Prolonged ill-health, disease and disability (long-term absence)
• Absence without leave (AWOL)
• Sick Absence Data/Reports

Module 3: Basic Conditions of Employment

Exposition of the Law – Labour Relations Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act

Basic Conditions of Employment Act – Section 22 and 23 Sick Leave and Medical Certificates

• Earnings Threshold
• The Regulation of Working Time
• Hours of Work and Overtime
• Section 9: Ordinary hours of work
• Section 10: Overtime
• Section 14: Meal Intervals
• Section 16 & section 18
• Remuneration for Sunday and public holiday work
• Section 20: Annual leave
• Annual leave and termination of employment
• The accumulation of annual leave
• Section 25: Maternity leave
• Section: 27 Family responsibility leave
• Religious holidays
• Study leaves for examination or study purposes

Module 4: General Considerations

Types of leave – BCEA and others

• The annual cost of leave to the employer
• Which of these forms of leave lend themselves to abuse?
• Identifying leave abuse pattern
• Evidence that the employee is required to present across the different forms of leave
• A process flow to address abuse
• Tracking all forms of leave
• Identifying the entitlement to sick leave, annual leave and COIDA

Module 5: Determination related to medical certificates.

• Is it hearsay?
• What it must contain
• Which medical certificates to accept?
• Medical certificates – what constitutes a “valid” medical certificate?
• Who may sign medical certificates?
• Definition of medical practitioner who may sign a medical certificate
• Traditional Health Practitioner certificate requirements
• Clinic medical certificate regulations
• Medical and Dental Professions Board Rules – Medical Certificates
• Handling issues related to exhausted Sick Leave
• Effective administering of return to Work Interview
• Effective Manager referral process
• Case studies

Module 6: Managing Absenteeism and Leave Abuse Challenges

• Effective management of the absenteeism problem
• Ways to combat absenteeism and leave abuse
• How to deal with absenteeism and leave abuse
• A strategic approach to absenteeism and leave abuse management
• Exercises and case studies

Learning approach

How you will learn

Our diverse instructional approaches ensure effective learning:

– Lectures & Presentations: Engage with expert-driven, stimulating content.– Course Material: Access well-crafted supporting resources.– Group Work: Collaborate on discussions and case studies for practical insights.– Workshops & Role-Play: Participate in immersive, scenario-based activities.– Practical Application: Focus on applying theoretical knowledge in real situations.– Post-Training Support: Receive extensive support after training for skill implementation.

Discuss your requirements

Dates, duration & arrangements

Contact Ratomac to confirm dates, duration, delivery format, entry requirements and any applicable assessment or certification before booking.