Two thirds of small business owners have reported experienced employees calling in sick during the warm weather, research finds.

Two thirds of small business owners have reported experienced employees calling in sick during the warm weather, research finds.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula Business Services, which commissioned a report of 1,700 businesses looking into absenteeism, says that small operators need to get tough with summertime slackers.

He says, ‘Every time we get good weather the same pattern emerges, and the excuses start flooding in.

‘You can understand where employees are coming from; we don’t get an abundance of good weather in this country and when it does actually arrive people are desperate to take advantage of it; however it is not an excuse to call in sick.’

Done says that his advice line has seen a surge in calls this week regarding lateness and absenteeism particularly, with many managers airing their suspicions that their staff are just taking time off to enjoy the sun.

‘Managers need to be stern with their staff and diplomacy is key when dealing with these employees who have called in sick. You need to make it perfectly clear that unauthorised sickness to enjoy the weather is totally unacceptable and that the needs of the business comes first.

‘If everyone took the day off when they felt like it then your company won't last long, and your employees won’t have a job to come back to. Of course you can’t go accusing staff of ‘pulling a sickie’ without any concrete evidence, but ensure you conduct back to work interviews to make sure your employees know you’re on the ball.’

See also: Dealing with staff absenteeism