Tell me why: Employers don't like Mondays10 October 2005
It's an October Monday morning, cold and dark, and seeing as intended relaxing weekends so often end up being distinctly un-restful, the last thing any of us really want to do is go to work. We have all at the very least thought about "pulling a sicky", and admit it or not most of us have done it. But for an employer attempting to run a small business efficiently, nothing induces a headache like a staff member calling in at five past nine to break the news that they are definitely, truly and completely, honestly promise, far too ill to make it in to work.
Not only are employee extended weekends a real pain in terms of workloads, annually they end up costing UK businesses a fortune. According to PersonnelToday, UK industry loses almost £12 billion every year, or on average £601 per employee, through absenteeism. When you look at it in terms of cash, isn't it considerably more irritating?! And a new survey from the Employment Law Advisory Service found that 90 per cent of small to mid-sized businesses in Britain said that Fridays and Mondays were the most common days for sickness.
Employers everywhere, do not despair. There is a simple solution to combat the problem of a desperately depleted workforce every Friday or Monday. Investing in the equipment and processes to make homeworking efficient and secure can mean that at the least, essential work is covered. It also means that days off due to doctor's appointments, childcare problems, car breakdowns (the list of excuses really is endless, isn't it?) are eliminated as employees may complete work tasks around them.
The number of people in the UK working from home, or "teleworking" has doubled over the last eight years to reach a total of around 2.5 million people, according to a new report from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Of these people, however, 62 per cent are self-employed, as businesses lag behind in using this kind of flexible working.
Working at home can increase staff productivity as a result of a familiar and relaxed environment, and considerably improves employee work/life balance. But most importantly for the small business, employees may think twice about indulging that Friday fun feeling, or Monday morning blues.
