Is your business suffering due to the ill-health of your staff? For small businesses, this can be a real issue but, according to telecoms firm, Avaya, small-business owners could help reduce the cost of unscheduled staff absenteeism by allowing employees to work flexibly.
The Avaya survey found that one-fifth of small firms lose an average of £25,000 a year because of unscheduled staff absenteeism, caused by everyday occurrences including commuting delays and illness.
According to Avaya UK manager Nick Roullier, allowing some staff to work flexibly can help reduce absenteeism. “Small-business owners who allow staff to work from any location are far less likely to feel the financial impact of absenteeism, because their workers have access to the systems and services they need, whether they work from home or the office,” he said.
“Ultimately, flexible working can help small firms retain staff, maximise their productivity and avoid missed business opportunities,” added Roullier.
According to recent research from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, flexible working is regarded as one of the best ways of reducing employee turnover.
“More people want to balance work with family and lifestyle and more employers are increasingly recognising that flexibility helps reduce staff absence and retain good employees,” said Minister of State for Business Pat McFadden.
• For further details on motivating staff click here.