Managing absenteeism in the workplace: the case of an Italian multiutility company

Abstract

Absenteeism is an employee’s intentional or habitual absence from work. While employers expect workers to miss a certain number of workdays each year, excessive absences can equate to decreased productivity and can have a major effect on company strategies, finances, morale and other factors. The main aim of this paper is to take a broad view of the causes a of workplace absenteeism in the Hera Group, an Italian multiutility leader in environmental, water and energy services, and to describe various facets of its assessment and management. It is intended to provide both an overview on absenteeism data and then progress to exploring solutions and discussions on absenteeism problems, connecting strategic goals with human resource related issues