Can you recognize signs of stress and discuss them effectively? You can influence absenteeism with it!

According to research by TNO, forty percent of employers believe that work-related stress is one of the main risks for absenteeism. During the COVID period, the number of employees with burnout complaints decreased, but has since increased significantly. The result: high absenteeism costs. Managers are closest to the employees, so they are the first to recognize signals. However, they also need to know which steps they can take to prevent absenteeism.

By Mardou Hollenbach, director of McCourse

Training managers
The TNO research also showed that 42% of employers believe it is necessary to take measures. And 37% of employees indicate that workload or work-related stress is the reason for their work-related absenteeism. Direct managers often have the best insight into their employees. That is why it is important to train them so they can recognize and properly discuss stress signals.

Only 30% purely medical
Work-related stress is therefore an important reason for absenteeism. But stress caused by private matters also leads to absenteeism. Only 30% of absenteeism appears to have a purely medical cause. This means that you can influence a large part of absenteeism. Taking preventive action on signals is therefore very effective.

Stress at different levels
An important question that an employer should ask all employees is: what do I notice about you when you are stressed? Because everyone shows stress in a different way. On a behavioral level, it may be noticeable that someone withdraws more and more. If stress manifests itself cognitively, the employee may, for example, have more difficulty concentrating and make more mistakes as a result. If someone becomes angry or irritated more quickly, stress is manifesting itself on an emotional level. Physical complaints such as back pain or migraines can also be expressions of stress. These are all signals that you as an employer need to be alert to. If you then discuss them properly with the employee, you can work together to find out what is needed to prevent absenteeism.

Recovery time is necessary
Another important question for the employer: what helps you recover? For example, if someone likes to go running to relieve stress, but no longer has time for this because of caregiving responsibilities, then recovery time is lacking. That is when it becomes dangerous and absenteeism is lurking. Discuss together with the employee what is needed to still prevent absenteeism. Perhaps taking a walk during the break is a solution, or engaging a caregiving organization.

Let the employee reflect themselves
It is important that the employer does not try to solve everything immediately. Always start by asking what the employee can do themselves. Letting someone reflect first is actually the most effective. The next question is, what can we as an employer do to help? Then make sure to make concrete agreements together and follow up on them regularly. By paying attention to the employee in this way, you can prevent absenteeism.

Doesn't that take too much time?
What I see in practice is that employers spend a lot of time managing employees who are already sick. As a result, prevention is often overlooked, even though there is much more to be gained here. In the end, preventing absenteeism takes much less time than managing employees who are already absent. Therefore, make sure that managers are well trained.

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