No excuse!

18 września 2014

The topic for today is ‘’absence management ’’

Lekcje angielskiego przygotowuje firma

Task 1.
Read the text below to get the general idea:

Employees may be absent from work for many reasons and for varied periods of time. Some leaves of absence might be scheduled, others not. Some may be short-time, others long-time absences, and still others paid or unpaid leaves. Everything depends on an individual and the circumstances involved.
HR managers tend to list health problems and family issues as most common reasons for excused, but mostly unpredictable, absences. Holidays come second, but, as they are considered compulsory, they must be scheduled in advance. Unpaid leaves come third and they are usually given upon request, either by an employee or an employer themselves. The fourth group of leaves is referred to as unexcused absences, and , if they occur frequently, they may even lead to a job dismissal in the end.
The CIPD Absence survey in 2013 revealed that, in relation to unauthorised absence, people are absent from work 7.6 days a year on average. Lateness or poor time keeping were not included in the report, since such discipline problems are difficult to address and impossible to measure. On the other hand, the results also showed, that more than 35% of sick notes were given for mild to moderate health disorders, such as depression or stress. In terms of sick leaves, discrepancies were observed between both, indicating that female workers, with the figure of 75%, were absent from work due to sickness comparatively longer than their male colleagues.
Therefore, managing and monitoring attendance seems crucial for every company, since high levels of absence can cause significant financial loses and disciplinary problems. The standard of service within an organization may suffer a lot, too, and it might result in distrust towards the company.

Task 2.
Study the vocabulary in the text carefully and choose the best alternative for each sentence below:

1. People are absent from work for three main reasons/causes.
2. An excused/unexcused absence is scheduled in advance.
3. Being sick means providing a sicknote/fitnote issued by a doctor.
4. A high level of excused/unexcused absences may lead to a job loss.
5. The status of employee is maintained during a leave of absence/a layoff.
6. Women tend to have shorter/longer periods of absences.
7. Unpaid/paid leave of absence may be offered to employees in times of crisis.
8. Disciplinary measures should be taken in cases of frequent vacation/lateness.
9. 75%/35% of sicknotes are issued on the basis of minor illnesses.
10. Insufficient absence management can be relatively inexpensive/costly for a company.

Task 3.
Watch the video ‘’ How to handle work absence‘’ and mark the sentences below as T (true) or F (false):

1. Absence management is only about work sickness. ….
2. The speaker listed five hints how to manage the subject. ….
3. Identifying patterns can help manage work absence. ….
4. Identifying trends involves questioning employees. ….
5. Knowing your staff is the key to successful absence management. ….
6. Discussing issues at initial stages can save time later on. ….
7. Managing sickness is indirectly related to job interviews. ….
8. Clear rules and procedures can help monitor and manage sickness. ….
9. Stress policies can lead to long-term absence. ….
10. Work absence and sickness can influence job performance. ….

KEY TO EXERCISES

Task 2.

1. People are absent from work for three main reasons/causes.
2. An excused/unexcused absence is scheduled in advance.
3. Being sick means providing a sicknote/fitnote issued by a doctor.
4. A high level of excused/unexcused absences may lead to a job loss.
5. The status of employee is maintained during a leave of absence/a layoff.
6. Women tend to have shorter/longer periods of absences.
7. Unpaid/paid leave of absence may be offered to employees in times of crisis.
8. Disciplinary measures should be taken in cases of frequent vacation/lateness.
9. 75%/35% of sicknotes are issued on the basis of minor illnesses.
10. Insufficient absence management can be relatively inexpensive/costly for a company.

Task 3.

1. Absence management is only about work sickness. …F
2. The speaker listed five hints how to manage the subject. …T
3. Identifying patterns can help manage work absence. …T
4. Identifying trends involves questioning employees. …F
5. Knowing your staff is the key to successful absence management. …T
6. Discussing issues at initial stages can save time later on. …T
7. Managing sickness is indirectly related to job interviews. …F
8. Clear rules and procedures can help monitor and manage sickness. …T
9. Stress policies can lead to long-term absence. …F
10. Work absence and sickness can influence job performance. …T

LEKCJA DO POBRANIA:

Set No excuse

Set No excuse KEY