• YouTube Videos
  • Internet Digest 1996
  • Best of the Web

Harold Carey Jr

Photojournalist, Navajo Historian & Online Learning Instructor

Companies are cracking down on absenteeism

February 12, 2008 By harold

Human resources people calculate that just 85 percent of labor costs pay for actual work. The rest goes to “nonproductive time” such as vacations, holidays, sick days, and personal time.
Legitimate absences are OK, but abuse is a “bottom-line killer,” and is rising. People are collecting for vacation, health insurance benefits, or personal days they are not entitled to.
Companies such as Goodyear are doing “dependent eligibility audits.” Each employee must provide a birth or marriage certificate, student ID, or tax return to prove that dependents should be covered by health insurance.
At Goodyear, 13 percent of dependents turned out to be ineligible for health insurance. They included ex-wives, step-children who lived elsewhere, and “students” who were about 30 years old. This drove up the cost of insurance for all legitimate employees and dependents.
To check on absences, more companies are using tracking software.
At Wal-Mart, disciplinary action begins after four unauthorized absences. Dell, Georgia Pacific, and Southwest Airlines are hiring consultants who have rebranded “lost time” into a new science called “absence management,” according to Business Week.
Southwest says new software that tracks its “under the wing” crew has already saved the company $2 million annually in reduced administrative costs. They will soon have automated absence tracking for headquarters staff.
The software programs track malingerers and point out problems.
In one company, absenteeism was much higher in one department than others. Confidential talks and focus groups revealed that staffers didn’t like the boss, so they took more time off. When the problem was fixed, absence rates were normal and workers were pleased.

Filed Under: Career

Harold Carey Jr

I travel the Southwest and the world taking photos and doing travel reviews as a Google Local Guide.
I have over 50 million views of my photos on Google Maps and over 800 travel reviews

My Google Local Photos

My Social-Media Sites

facebook_icon-50

twitter-logo-50

Recent Posts

  • The Navajo Nation Fair
  • Santa Fe Indian Market
  • Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial
  • Day 3 – Union City
  • USA Trip Day 1 – Malad ID to Reno NV

My Websites

  • Navajo People
  • Navajo People Blog
  • Navajo People Photo Gallery
  • Navajo Arts
  • Navajo Artists
  • Crownpoint Rug Auction
  • Northern Navajo Nation Fair
  • Self Reliant Living

Copyright © 2025 · Log in