New study confirms contact centre absenteeism problem

Australian contact centres are experiencing higher than average rates of absenteeism among staff, according to new research.

The study, released by Direct Health Solutions, found that while the average level of employee absenteeism across all sectors is 3.7%, or 8.62 days per employee per annum contact centres experienced 4% absenteeism, or 9.2 days per employee per year. The public sector had the highest rates of absence, with employees taking 10.8 days on average.

The report found that the average cost of absence was $354 per employee per day and minor illnesses, family responsibilities and entitlement mentality were cited as the main causes of absenteeism. Over 63% of employers indicated that absence through increased stress levels is increasing, and the main reason for this is workload and organisational change.

Callcentres.com