Abstract:
The economic viability and success of a hotel depends on the optimisation of all resources, including Human
Resources (HR). Absenteeism is an occurrence that can have a significant negative impact on optimising HR in
South African hotels in the Gauteng Province. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that contribute
to employee absenteeism, as well as describing the hotel employers’ perceptions of employee absenteeism. A
quantitative research approach was followed in this study. A survey questionnaire was developed in order to
collect data from 13 establishments, with a 3-star to 5-star grading, in the Gauteng Province. The findings reveal
that absenteeism is mainly due to family responsibilities including childcare, other causes identified were strikes,
fatigue, transport problem and genuine illness. It is evident from the findings that delivery of quality services can
be affected negatively, due to abuse of sick leave and the cost associated with absenteeism. The results of this
research project will contribute by creating an awareness of the negative impact that absenteeism has on the hotel
and what employers could do to improve employee attendance
