How to Keep Your Team Organized Despite Multiple Absences

It is inevitable to see several employees take a leave of absence at the same time. You might have approved some requests in the past because you didn’t expect many others will be out on the same week. During that week, more people took days off because they got sick. Managing your team can be extremely hard when you lack human resources. Of course, the show must go on. You can’t cease operations because everyone is sick. Here are some tips to help you organize your team despite the number of absences.

Always have a Plan B

You must manage your team like you’re planning a lesson for a class. You can’t rely on your first plan only. You should look for alternatives to ensure that things go smoothly. You must understand that not everyone will be there as needed or on time. If you have a backup plan, you can keep things going. You won’t worry about the number of people who aren’t around.

There should be at least two employees who know the same job

Don’t rely on one person to know a task. You must have at least someone else who can continue the process when the other one isn’t around. If you have a policy where only a single person can do a job, it will cripple the business. When that person is out, everything will stop. It’s even worse when that task is part of a chain of processes. It’s even better if everyone in the same department knows the job that person holds.

Don’t always reject a request to take a day off

When someone asks you for a day off, your instant response is to deny it. You don’t want to disrupt operations and the easiest way is to reject the request. However, these employees might have already planned something else during the day. It could be a trip to a distant location or an essential family event. Regardless of your approval, this employee will pursue the plan. Don’t be surprised if you receive a message saying that the employee will be out due to being ill. Whether or not it’s true, you can’t have that person for the day. You would rather approve the request and plan before that day than to have last-minute changes. When the employee takes constant requests to be out, it’s a different story.

Set reminders and due dates

Another excellent strategy is to set reminders to your employees. It doesn’t mean you micromanage. Your goal is to ensure everyone can do the expected task on the exact date. It also forces these employees to get things done before they decide to take a leave of absence. Some are aware about their plans and they don’t want to disrupt operations when they’re away. You just have to be clear about your expectations.

With these tips, you won’t worry about the number of people being out at the same time. Things will proceed as usual.

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