In the first part of this series, we presented some of the findings of The 2007 CCH Survey, which focuses on sick employees during the flu season, and how this issue can impact the productivity of your business. As a small business owner, there are human resource matters that are important to know about and deal with in order to keep your company from losing ground while employees deal with sickness. Additional statistics that the survey found include the fact that the most common reason that employees come to work sick, cited by 65 percent of respondents, was because they have too much work/deadlines. Fifty-six percent say there is no one available to cover workload; 55 percent don't want to use vacation time; 49 percent want to save sick time for later in the year; and 49 percent report fear of discipline as the reason sick workers are on the job. "If you have too much work to do, there is no one to cover for you, and you fear you're going to be disciplined, you have some very strong incentives to show up for work no matter how sick you are," said CCH Employment Law Analyst Brett Gorovsky, JD. "As a result, employers have to examine their absence control and workplace policies to make certain they are not causing unintended consequences." Among the policies and programs Gorovsky recommends employers looking to curb presenteeism (discussed in Part ) review are: Disciplinary policies. An organization that disciplines an employee for taking an extra day of sick time, for example a sixth day when only five are allowed, needs to be aware of the consequences of this action - namely, sick employees will be at work and may be spreading germs as well as exposing the organization to additional risks. According to the CCH Survey, 89 percent of organizations use disciplinary action to control absences. Paid Sick Leave/Paid Leave Banks. Providing paid time is an effective way for employers to help manage presenteeism, and 69 percent of employers reported having paid sick leave or paid time off in place as preventive measures to help control presenteeism, according the CCH Survey. Carry-over policies. Because not every flu season is as severe as the next and employees often have good and bad years when it comes to their health, employers that allow employees to carry over some or all of their unused sick days may allow employees a better way to manage the time they need to recoup. Only 42 percent of organizations surveyed, however, allow employees to carry over sick time from one year to the next. Wellness and flu shot programs. Taking a proactive approach to helping employees manage their health, both in terms of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking preventative measures that reduce illness, also reduces the risk of presenteeism. According to the CCH Survey, 60 percent of employers offer wellness programs and 66 percent offer flu shot programs. In the final part of this series we‘ll take a look at additional issues, from a human resources perspective, that can assist you in dealing with sickness and keeping your company healthy. | 
