Absenteeism Is Increasing, Survey Finds, as Work, Family Pressures Rise

Faced with child-care emergencies, growing workloads and other demands on their nerves and time, many American workers are resorting to an old ploy: They’re playing hooky.

The comeback in absenteeism in many American workplaces is reflected in a new survey showing that unscheduled no-shows shot up 25% over the last year, hitting the highest level since 1991. Authorities say stressed-out American workers are taking more “mental health” days to bounce back from the pressures of work or to handle family and personal needs.

The findings in the survey by CCH Inc., a publishing and research firm in suburban Chicago, mark a surprising reversal from two years of declining rates of unscheduled absences.

Anita Gorino, a human resources consultant based in Thousand Oaks, said the turnabout probably is linked to the strong job market. Gorino, often called on to meet with employees with absenteeism problems, said that among many “there’s an attitude that ‘I don’t care; I can go get another job down the street.’ ”

Still, CCH’s survey of 401 U.S. employers also showed that the biggest organizations, those employing 5,000 or more, are making progress in curbing absenteeism. The increase in unscheduled days off came primarily at employers with fewer than 1,000 workers.

Paul Gibson, a lawyer and editor in charge of the survey for CCH, said some big employers have reduced absenteeism through the use of paid-time-off programs. These programs typically lump together a worker’s sick days, personal days and vacation time into a single time-off bank. When workers need time off, for whatever reason, they simply take the days out of the “PTO” bank.

Gibson said big employers also have had more success lately in curbing absenteeism because they are somewhat more likely to run their own child-care centers or offer flexible work schedules, among other things.

But at big and small companies alike, he said, many workers still feel that they need, and are entitled to take, unscheduled days.

“Companies are asking employees to give 110%, and people can’t go on at that pace,” he said. “So, many workers are saying, ‘I need a day or two off to recover and recoup.’ ”

Gorino added that many of the workers taking unscheduled absences are single mothers with child-care problems. She said they often tell her that “the employer should understand that I have to take care of my kids first.”

But along with higher costs for employers, the result of growing absenteeism, she said, is that “the other people have to pick up the slack, so you get disgruntled employees.”

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Insurance Coverage: Last month’s “On the Job” column about workers who feel they can’t switch jobs because they fear losing their health insurance prompted a flurry of phone calls and e-mail from readers. Most came from people who need to buy insurance for themselves and want to find coverage at more reasonable prices.

There is no easy solution that applies to everyone. However, one option is to join an association that offers its members group health insurance. The possibilities include professional groups, college alumni associations, fraternal organizations and even some local chambers of commerce.

“There are lots of groups out there,” said Richard Coorsh, a spokesman for the Health Insurance Assn. of America, which lobbies for the insurance industry. “Just because one group says no, it doesn’t mean you can’t get coverage somewhere else.”

Many of the policies available through these organizations come at a high price and offer minimal coverage. Still, to find some kind of coverage, you might start by calling these groups:

* National Assn. for Socially Responsible Organizations, a nonprofit cooperative based in Washington. This group doesn’t sell health insurance to individual members, but it provides referrals to other groups that might be able to help. Phone: (800) 638-8113; e-mail: info@nasroco-op.com.

* Working Today, an advocacy and service group representing all types of independent workers. Phone: (212) 366-6066; e-mail: working1@tiac.net; Web site: https://www.workingtoday.org.

* Women Inc., a Los Angeles-based membership group for female entrepreneurs. Phone: (800) 930-3993; e-mail: womeninc@aol.com; Web site: https://www.womeninc.com.

Information Overload: White-collar employees at the biggest U.S., Canadian and British companies send and receive about 190 messages a day, according to a study by Pitney Bowes Inc. One of the biggest gripes among American executives is that they receive too many duplicate messages from people who, for instance, will first fax a message and then send it again by e-mail or regular mail.

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Times staff writer Stuart Silverstein can be reached by phone at (213) 237-7887 or by e-mail at stuart.silverstein@latimes.com.

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* JOB MARKET

For stories on hot careers from nursing to education, see Jubilee of Jobs in the Classified section of today’s Times.