Vol. 418 No. 9
109 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Labour if he will outline the national level of absenteeism in 1992; the way in which this compares with our European partners; if he will further outline the measures his Department have taken and intend to take to reduce absenteeism; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Absenteeism is a cause of concern because of its detrimental effects in terms of increased costs and reduced productivity and competitiveness. The control of absenteeism is an essential element in managing an enterprise and is the primary responsibility of the management at each work place. Enterprises which have adopted specific control policies and kept necessary records have been successful in reducing the problem. I would encourage all enterprises to consider undertaking similar strategies.
There are significant difficulties in attempts to measure levels of absenteeism due to the absence of a single, generally accepted definition and the lack of statistical data. In addition, studies undertaken suggest that there are substantial variations in absentee levels between different sectors of employment. Various surveys undertaken in this country put the absence rate in the range 8 per cent to 13 per cent. The difficulties are multiplied if one attempts to make comparisons across countries. An EC survey undertaken in 1988 put the Irish level of absence due to illness below the Community average.
