Best practices for HR leaders to reduce absence and disability claims
When a company is hiring for a role, it’s not just hiring a talent. Each individual has their unique strengths and improvement areas that they need to work on. When challenges are encountered in an individual's personal life, it is natural for work to get affected and vice versa. During such difficult times, having a supportive workspace can really make a difference and encourage employees to reach out for help, seek support, and navigate challenges in a better manner.
Disability claims are a form of financial assistance or welfare designed to support disabled individuals who cannot work due to a chronic illness, disease, or injury. When your intention is to reduce disability claims, your focus automatically needs to be on employee wellbeing and job satisfaction because they often go hand in hand.
It is possible to mitigate disability claims and absenteeism by implementing proactive and preventive strategies that make the workplace a healthy space to thrive in.
- Shift your focus from employee productivity to employee wellbeing first:
The health and wellbeing of any individual precede their productivity and motivation. The healthier employees are, the better they will be able to show up at work. Implement emotional check-ins along with annual/ quarterly physical check-ups in the program. This allows employees to reflect on and evaluate their emotions and behaviors. Manah Wellness offers a holistic program called LEAP that can empower individuals to become wellbeing champions and take charge of their emotions in the healthiest of ways.
- Be flexible with timings and work arrangements:
Flexibility at work allows individuals to maintain a healthier work life balance. A healthy work-life balance is a great indicator of how inclusive and supportive your workspace is. Flexible arrangements could mean offering remote work, flexible shift timings, or hybrid mode. This flexibility should stem from a place of care and support and only then it can be felt. By enabling employees to work from home or choose their hours, employers can decrease commuting stress and create a more inclusive work environment. This can help reduce workplace stressors that contribute to mental health issues, absenteeism, and long-term disability claims.
- Training and Awareness sessions:
Mental Health Awareness sessions can include learning about rational thinking, learning about cognitive distortions that your mind ends up creating, newer tools that help you cope with everyday stressors, effective communication strategies, emotional management, and building resilience. These are often extremely helpful in making you navigate through workplace challenges smoothly. These sessions contribute to creating better sensitivity inter-personal awareness and understanding within individuals. Mental Health Service providers also have manager referral programs or manager training programs that empower managers and team leads to identify these issues early on within employees and redirect them with empathy and understanding towards the right supportive platforms/spaces.
- Mental health days and paid time off:
Recovery and rest go a long way. Offer Mental Health leaves and paid time off for employees to unplug and focus on themselves. Spending time away from work, commitments, and, deadlines can be refreshing and can rejuvenate employees. When employees can show up for themselves, it always contributes to their overall wellbeing and satisfaction.
Mental Health days help prevent burnout, anxiety, and stress from escalating into more severe issues. They also normalize mental health and need time off to look after themselves. This is a powerful step in reducing stigma and establishing a culture of non-judgment and openness at your workplace.
- Walk the talk:
Just because you call the space safe and non-judgmental, does not make it safe and non-judgmental. You need to introspect and hear what changes employees can benefit from. Simply establishing policies or having them in the company rulebook is not enough. Individuals need to feel safe, valued, and supported at their workplace too. As a Manager, you are responsible for building a culture of open feedback and communication, inclusion, and flexibility. If you need any assistance, reach out to Mental Health experts who can assist you in crafting these themes at your workplace. The first and foremost important thing here is to be open to feedback and approach things with curiosity rather than judgment.
Conduct regular engagement surveys to understand employee sentiments and stressors. Act on the feedback to show employees that their voices matter, which can improve morale and reduce absenteeism.
- Be a good listener:
Active listening is a tool that creates wonders for enhancing interpersonal relationships.
Truly listen to what your employees are saying. You can schedule a time throughout the week for personalized conversations with employees. This will help you understand the nerves of the company, develop a personal rapport with them, and understand different perspectives and where they are coming from. When employees feel heard and respected, it has a positive effect on their mental energy.
FAQs:
- Do these strategies help in managing workplace conflicts as well?
Yes. Some of the mentioned strategies will allow individuals to take some time away, respect each other’s space, and regroup once the impulsive reaction settles down. Emotional Management sessions often focus on teaching coping mechanisms that help employees manage conflicts effectively.
