The management of absenteeism

Absence from work by members of a labour force creates organisational problems for management and results in losses in production both to the company and to the economy. Such evidence as exists suggests that the overall level of absenteeism is rising. This paper is aimed specifically at those managers who have to deal with the absence problem in relation to other aspects of their overall responsibility. Whilst no claim is laid to the general applicability of the research findings outside the study situation, since the `absence problem¿¿ has common features, it is hoped that the findings will have wider applicability and management will be able to relate what is said here to the problems facing themselves. However, as absenteeism is reflected in the neglect of management of human resources, it can only be recommended that managers keep abreast with contempory developments in this field. The paper resulted from work undertaken by the author in presenting a dissertation to the University of Manchester Institute of Technology (1973). The research and data acquisition was undertaken in a labour intensive manufacturing unit situated in the Greater Manchester area.