Twenty-four Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital employees have been disciplined for absenteeism. The challenges the hospital experienced due to absenteeism include not having sufficient staff available to maintain appropriate and acceptable required service delivery standards.
“The hospital lost 6547 work days last year due to ill health which accounts for 0.82% of reasons for absenteeism, with abscondment accounting for 4.52% and incapacity at 94.6%”, says Philani Mhlungu, Media Liason officer for Gauteng Health MEC.
The reasons for the high levels of absenteeism, according to the Department, are general absence without prior arrangements with supervisors. Abandoning their duties hurriedly in order to knock off early can ultimately lead to employees being dismissed. Habitual absenteeism alongside ill health and lifestyles are the observed patterns in the rates of truancy.
“The hospital management has implemented various measures to reduce the number of absenteeism which include a weekly code of conduct training and awareness workshops for all staff categories. An internal memoranda will be circulated to staff on leave and related matters. Regular orientation and training sessions are being conducted with staff on leave utilization and management”, concluded Mhlungu.
