How to Talk to an Employee About Excessive Absenteeism: The Employers Guide

How many absences are too many? It’s a question many business leaders face when absent employees start to affect team morale, disrupt work hours, and rack up indirect costs. Occasional absences are normal. Everyone gets sick or needs to miss work now and then. But when it starts to become a pattern, it’s time to take a closer look.

This blog breaks down what’s considered excessive absenteeism and how you can spot, address, and prevent it, without harming employee morale or creating a hostile work environment. Let’s get straight to the facts (and a few solutions that actually work).

Benchmarking absence rates in 2025

Not all absences are a red flag, but knowing when things start to spiral is key. Before deciding how many absences are considered excessive absenteeism, it helps to know what’s “normal”.

Average absence statistics

In 2024, UK workers averaged 4.4 sick days per person, with a sickness absence rate of 2.0%, down from 2.3% in 203.

However, a separate survey by CIPD and Simplyhealth reported a higher average of 7.8 days per employee, marking the highest rate in over a decade .

Company size influences absence rates:

• Small businesses (≤50 employees): 5.0 days per employee

• Large organisations (≥5,000 employees): 13.3 days per

The public sector reported higher average absence levels at 10.6 days per employee, compared to the private sector .

Industry-specific norms

Absenteeism looks very different across sectors:

• Manufacturing: Average of 1.6 days lost to sickness absence in 2024, including COVID-related absences .

• Public sector: Higher absence rates, with a notable 10.6 days per employee .

• Private sector: Lower absence rates compared to the public sector.

Unexcused absences are more frequent in high-turnover industries, while scheduled absences are better documented in highly regulated sectors. Business leaders should compare their own absence rates against similar-sized companies within the same industry to know where they stand.

Identifying patterns and underlying causes

Excessive employee absenteeism doesn’t happen overnight. The key to solving it? Understanding the why behind the when.

Common reasons for excessive absenteeism

Let’s break down some of the legitimate reasons employees miss work, and what to do about them:

• Health issues: Chronic illness, injuries, or long-term conditions. Use reasonable accommodations and flexible scheduling to support recovery.

• Mental health: Anxiety, depression, or burnout are major drivers of high absenteeism. Anonymous surveys and employee assistance programmes can help.

• Family emergencies: Caring for a family member, sudden childcare gaps, or personal life disruptions. Clear rules around approved absences and medical leave acts can provide structure.

• Workplace harassment or bullying: Workplace harassment, workplace bullying, or a hostile work environmentcan push many employees to withdraw or avoid work entirely.

• Personal issues: Financial stress, divorce, or job hunting. Offer resources but also reinforce your company policy on attendance expectations.

Remember; while occasional absences are part of life, consistently missing work without acceptable reasons or proper documentation may be considered excessive absenteeism.

Recognizing patterns

Spotting excessively absent behaviour starts with good tracking. Don’t just wait until things get bad; be proactive.

Look out for:

• Repeated unexpected absences around weekends or holidays

• Frequent sick leave with no medical proof

• Patterns like “always off on Mondays” or after performance reviews

• A rise in unplanned absences following disciplinary action

Use tools that track attendance in real time and flag potential concerns early. Metrics like the Bradford Factor help quantify how frequent short-term absences disrupt team morale and work hours more than longer scheduled absences.

The earlier you detect a pattern, the easier it is to uncover the root cause and stop it from impacting other employees, low morale, or increasing absenteeism costs.

How to talk to an employee about excessive absenteeism

It’s never fun to bring up excessive employee absenteeism, but avoiding the issue won’t help your team. A respectful conversation can reveal the root cause behind the absences and help the employee feel supported rather than attacked.

Preparing for the conversation

Before sitting down with someone about their excessive absences, do your homework.

• Track attendance: Use your system to gather data on unplanned absences, unexcused absences, and excused absences. Bring the facts, not assumptions.

• Review the attendance policy and relevant sections of the employee handbook. You want to be clear on what's considered excessive absenteeism in your company.

• Compare their absence patterns with regular attendance expectations for other employees.

• Consider any known legitimate reasons; disabilities act protections, medical leave act eligibility, or approved absences like jury duty, family emergencies, or medical appointments.

• Choose the right time and place. Privacy is key. You don’t want to embarrass the employee or stir up low morale within the team.

Approach the chat as a two-way conversation. You’re not just issuing a written warning; you’re trying to understand.

Conducting the meeting

Start by showing empathy. Most employees don’t wake up thinking, “I’ll skip work today just to cause chaos.”

Use open-ended questions like:

• “Can you help me understand what’s been affecting your ability to attend work regularly?”

• “Is there anything going on (inside or outside of work) that you’d feel comfortable sharing?”

• “Do you feel supported in your role?”

Stay calm, stick to facts, and avoid jumping to conclusions. If the employee raises mental health challenges, workplace bullying, or issues with a hostile work environment, listen carefully. These aren’t excuses; they're warning signs.

Make sure the employee knows the attendance expectations going forward and what support is available to help meet them. Only move to disciplinary action if there's no reasonable accommodation or progress after support is offered.

Addressing excessive absenteeism proactively

Dealing with chronic absenteeism early is way easier than picking up the pieces after absenteeism costs pile up. Prevention always beats damage control.

Early intervention techniques

Don’t wait for the fourth sick day in two weeks to act. Instead:

• Schedule regular check-ins, especially with hourly workers or those returning from sick leave.

• Encourage managers to notice shifts in employee morale or performance; often the early signs of burnout.

• Send friendly reminders about the attendance policy, especially when occasional absences start becoming more frequent.

• Use anonymous surveys to identify culture or workload problems affecting many employees.

A small chat early on can prevent much tougher talks down the line.

Supportive measures

• Offer flexible work options like hybrid schedules or adjusted work hours where possible.

• Promote your employee assistance program regularly (and make sure people know it’s confidential).

• Allow remote work during recovery from minor health issues to reduce unexpected absences without impacting output.

• Make room for reasonable accommodations where employees are struggling with health, caregiving, or personal life challenges.

Even most employees with occasional struggles can meet good attendance standards when support is available.

Fostering a positive work environment

Want to reduce absenteeism long-term? Build a culture that people actually want to show up for.

• Recognise consistent good attendance in team meetings or performance reviews.

• Give credit for reliability just as much as big wins; it sends the right message.

• Address workplace harassment, leaving early patterns, or heavy workloads that drive people away.

• Let employees feel seen, heard, and valued. That alone improves team morale and well being more than you’d think.

Happy teams don’t just work better. They show up.

Wellness initiatives

An active wellness programme is one of the smartest ways to keep absent employees from becoming the norm.

Think:

• On-site health checks or partnerships with local clinics

• Mental health resources like counselling or guided meditations

• Incentives for gym memberships or wellness app usage

• Lunch-and-learn sessions around stress, sleep, or burnout

Disciplinary actions and fair practices

Sometimes, even after support and clear attendance expectations, excessive absenteeism continues. When that happens, disciplinary action might be necessary, but it has to be done fairly and by the book.

Establishing a fair process

Here’s how to keep things consistent and defensible:

• Document everything. Keep records of every unexcused absence, unscheduled absence, and warning given; verbal or written.

• Follow the attendance policy outlined in your employee handbook to avoid grey areas.

• Ensure many employees are held to the same standards. Singling out one person while ignoring others with similar absences damages trust.

• Use a progressive discipline system:

  • Informal chat for early occasional absences

  • Written warning after repeated employee absences

  • Final warning or suspension if chronic absenteeism continues

  • Termination only when all other options have failed

Legal compliance

Make sure your policies and your actions are compliant.

• Never discipline an employee for approved absences like jury duty, family emergencies, or sick leave backed by a doctor’s note.

• Don’t assume a pattern equals a problem; confirm whether the absences fall under the disabilities act or the medical leave act before acting.

• Avoid disciplinary action for absences tied to workplace harassment, hostile work environment, or mental health issues unless you’ve investigated and addressed those concerns first.

Protected absences

Some employee absences are legally protected. That includes:

• Medical leave for serious health conditions or caring for a family member

• Scheduled absences for surgery or ongoing treatment

• Family emergencies that qualify under local or federal leave laws

• Jury duty or other civic responsibilities

Always verify whether an absence is protected before taking any disciplinary action. Misclassifying a sick day or personal issue could be seen as discrimination.

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How Shiftbase helps prevent excessive absenteeism

Managing excessive absenteeism doesn’t have to mean endless spreadsheets, last-minute shift swaps, or confusion over who’s off and why. With Shiftbase, you get the tools to stay on top of employee absences, before they become a bigger issue.

Our absence management feature gives you a clear overview of scheduled absences, unplanned absences, and even sick leave in one place. You can spot patterns, stay compliant, and handle employee attendance with confidence.

Combined with time tracking and employee scheduling, Shiftbase helps you:

• Track attendance in real time

• React quickly to unexpected absences

• Improve team morale with fair and transparent shift planning

• Cut administrative costs by automating absence requests and approvals

✅ Want to reduce chronic absenteeism and boost employee morale without the stress?
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