Absenteeism, presenteeism, work disorganization. A company that does nothing for its caring employees ultimately loses a lot of money.
A child undergoing chemotherapy, a disabled brother, a dependent mother. There are five million employees who have to help a loved one. This is what Nathalie Chusseau, economist and professor at the University of Lille, demonstrates in a study published Friday October 6. Decryption with Sarah Lemoine.
franceinfo: To quantify these losses, she listed the hidden costs, that is to say?
Sarah Lemoine: Absenteeism, first of all. More than a quarter of helping employees say they have been on sick leave at least once during the year. And 27% took at least one day of unpaid leave. However, in the majority of cases, the work of those who are absent is neither carried out nor compensated.
There is presenteeism, then…
This is when the employee works diligently, even though his physical or psychological state prevents him from being fully effective. The main cause is intense fatigue. This is the case for helping employees who say they are exhausted and helpless. The result is a loss of productivity linked to delays, errors and lack of motivation. Presenteeism also exists in teleworking or part-time work, when the workload remains the same.
QWhat is the bill?
It is very salty. The hidden cost of helping employees for the private sector, at the macroeconomic level, is between 24 and 31 billion euros, according to calculations by economist Nathalie Chusseau. Reported on the scale of a private company in the service sector, which employs 100 employees including 20 caregivers, it is just as significant: 171,000 euros per year.
Money lost, so…
What the study says is that it ultimately costs the company more to ignore the problem than to propose solutions. Adjust schedules, reduce the amount of work, encourage teleworking, part-time work, taking leave, RTT donations. But also, inform internally about rights and support, train managers, or prevent burnout with health diagnoses.
“We are in the middle of the ford, summarizes Jean-Manuel Kupiec of Ocirp. The bosses and HR managers have identified the subject, but they do not know how to approach it. They fear opening Pandora’s box, and having to manage a multitude of individual situations.”
Some companies have already taken the plunge. At Airbus, for example, employees now benefit from 12 days per year to help their loved ones.