CHAPTER-II

ABSENTEEISM

     Information regarding absenteeism amongst workers in an industry or an industrial establishment on account of reasons other than strikes, lockouts, lay-off, weekly rest or suspension, provide a sound database for gauging the employee’s morale, commitment and level of job satisfaction which have a direct bearing on productivity. The effects of high levels of absenteeism are wide ranging and affect everyone in the organisation. It cannot be regarded purely as a management problem. Employers, workers and their representatives have an interest in ensuring that a few absent workers do not jeopardise their prosperity or job satisfaction.

Absenteeism is one of the indicators to monitor and evaluate various employees' welfare programmes and labour policies. With this aim in view, statistics on absenteeism amongst the directly employed regular workers are collected as a part of the Annual Survey of Industries. Absenteeism rate amongst these workers in an industry or a state are worked out as percentages of mandays lost on account of absence to the mandays scheduled to work in the respective industry or state.

      Statistics on number of factories reporting absenteeism, percentage of such factories, mandays scheduled to work, mandays lost due to absence and percentage of absenteeism by States, Industries and Sectors during the year 2002, are presented in Tables 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.2.1 and 2.2.2.

2.1  Absenteeism in States

      State-wise absenteeism rate amongst the directly employed regular workers during the year 2002 is presented in Table 2.1.1. It is observed that the rate of absenteeism in Census Sector at all India level decreased to 9.88 percent during as 2002, as compared to 9.95 percent during 2001.  Out of 31 States/Union Territories, the rate of absenteeism was higher in 8 States than the absenteeism rate at national level. The highest absenteeism rate of 13.54 percent was reported in Himachal Pradesh followed by Goa (13.12 percent), whereas the lowest absenteeism rate was recorded at 2.34 percent in Manipur followed by Nagaland (2.81 percent).  However, it is observed that as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Nagaland and Manipur constitute even less than one percent of the total mandays scheduled to work in the country, high or low absenteeism rate in these States may not be of much relevance. The highest absenteeism rate amongst the States/Union Territories in which the mandays scheduled to work were reported to be more than 5 percent was reported in Maharashtra (13.07 percent).  An increase in absenteeism rate as compared to that in 2001 was recorded only in 13 States/Union Territories. In Tripura and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, there is a sharp decrease in the absenteeism rate, whereas, in Dadar & Nagar Havali, there is a sharp increase in the absenteeism rate.

2.2         Absenteeism in Industries

     Industry-wise absenteeism rate amongst the directly employed regular workers during 2002 is presented in Table 2.1.2. It reveals that during 2002, the highest rate of absenteeism was reported at 16.18 percent in the industry group ‘371-Recycling of metal waste and scrap', whereas the lowest rate at 5.92 percent was reported in industry group '014-Agricultural and animal husbandry service activities, except veterinary activities’. Out of a total of 62 industry groups, the absenteeism rate in 26 industry groups was recorded more than 10 percent. This implies that absenteeism is more or less a region related problem, because industry-wise rate of absenteeism is more evenly spread over a large number of industry groups, as compared to its state-wise spread where the state to state variation is comparatively quite steep. Out of 62 industry groups, absenteeism rate was higher than absenteeism rate at the national level in atleast in 26 industry groups.  Like wise, out of 62 industry groups, an increase in the rate of absenteeism during 2002, was witnessed in 29 industry groups over absenteeism rate of 2001.

2.3         Absenteeism in States by Sectors

     Table 2.2.1 shows the State-wise and Sector-wise absenteeism rates during 2002.  For the purpose of studying absenteeism by type of ownership, units have been divided into three sectors, viz., Public, Joint and Private Sectors. Among the three sectors, the highest rate of absenteeism at all India level, was reported in Public Sector (10.87 percent), followed by Private Sector (9.79 percent) and Joint Sector (9.37 percent).

 The rate of absenteeism in Public Sector, varied between a highest rate of 16.67 percent in Manipur and lowest rate of 1.39 percent in Meghalya.  In Joint Sector, the absenteeism rate varied between a highest rate of 20.54 percent in Goa and lowest rate of 0.99 percent in Tripura. In Private Sector, the absenteeism rate varied between a highest rate of 13.50 percent in Himachal Pradesh and a lowest rate of 2.34 percent in Manipur.

2.4           Absenteeism in Industries by Sectors

     Industry-wise and Sector-wise absenteeism rate for the year 2002 is given in Table 2.2.2. In Public Sector, the highest rate of absenteeism of 25.33 percent was recorded in industry group ‘359-Manufacture of transport equipment n.e.c.’, whereas the lowest rate of absenteeism was recorded at 3.40 percent in industry group, ‘153-Manufacture of grain mill products, starches and starch products, and prepared animal feeds’. In Joint Sector, the highest rate of absenteeism at 27.50 percent was reported in industry group ‘251-Manufacture of rubber products’, whereas the lowest rate of 3.24 percent was observed in the industry group ‘151-Production, processing and preservation of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, oils and fats’. In Private Sector, the highest rate of absenteeism at 13.38 percent was recorded in industry group ‘251-Manufacture of rubber products’, whereas the lowest rate of 3.08 percent was reported in industry group ‘371-Recycling of metal waste and scrap’.