We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » on the job, but not on the ball
labor pool

on the job, but not on the ball

June 1, 2005
Donald Jacobson and Shelley Safian
No Comments

At first blush, it sounds like a problem any manager would love to have: Employees who never, ever call in sick. They might suffer from migraines, back pain or chronic allergies, but when it's time to show up for work, they're there. No whining, no excuses.

Who are these hardy souls who show up even when they're sick? Some are workaholics, the kind of people who feel guilty staying home. Some are simply career-obsessed individuals. Maybe they're in the running for a promotion or simply worried about who's doing what when they're out. Either way, these go-getters aren't about to give anyone an edge by staying away for even a day.

Others are driven by fear. Maybe they're worried about losing their jobs (particularly during economic downturns), or maybe they're afraid their co-workers will discover that everything runs smoothly without them. Whichever the case, it's fear that gets them up and out the door in the morning, and they're not going to be stopped by a case of the sniffles.

Still others simply can't afford to be sick on a given day. If they have the bad luck to wake up with the flu the same day a client meeting is scheduled or a quarterly report is due, they may feel they have no choice but to report to the office as usual.

Admirable as this may sound, there's a downside to having an obviously ill employee come into the office. There's always the risk that the sick worker will infect his or her co-workers, turning one person's cold into an office epidemic. But even if the invalid manages to contain his germs, his presence is unlikely to prove an asset to the workplace. A sick worker is rarely a productive worker. Just because an employee can drag himself in to work doesn't mean he'll be able to muster the concentration to accomplish anything. It's far more likely he'll spend the day staring at the computer screen (and extending the course of his illness).

While an inattentive office worker may be a nuisance, a sick machine operator may be a safety hazard. A woozy employee who operates heavy machinery (think forklift trucks) could compromise everyone's safety. Supervisors need to be particularly alert to the possibility that a driver has self-medicated in order to make it to work. Many over-the-counter cold remedies warn against using them while operating equipment. Though individuals often ignore those warnings, supervisors can't take this risk. Clearly, there are times when it's in the company's best interest to send a sick employee home for the dayóor better yet, keep him/her from showing up in the first place. But how does a manager gently discourage sick workers from making the trek in? The workaholics may be beyond help, but for the rest, the key is reassuring them that the world won't end if they stay home. Thanks to the miracle of electronic communication, the patient may not even have to be out of the loop at all. Consider the options:

  • E-mail communication: Someone who's sick in bed can still participate in daily decision-making and stay in the loop using e-mail. Unlike phone calls, which can disturb sleep, e-mail messages simply accumulate in the employee's inbox, allowing the patient to check them at his/her convenience.
  • Conference calls: If a meeting is scheduled, even a bedridden worker can attend via the magic of the conference call. Though extra fees may apply if your phone system lacks conference-calling features, it's still preferable to calling in an employee who proceeds to cough and sneeze all over a client.
  • Intranet document sharing: A report is due and the group needs to sit down and go over the details? That doesn't mean the homebound worker has to be excluded. With intranet document sharing, all parties can view a document online and even make realtime changes and corrections.
Business Management & Finance
  • Related Articles

    Mid-sized exporters drop the ball on trade compliance

    The Logistics Matters podcast: Steven Horwitz of Ball State University on a holiday retail season like no other | Season 1 Episode 30

    The impact of AI and IoT on the manufacturing job market

Don Jacobson is the president of Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters, a recruiting organization that specializes in the placement of management personnel in the logistics field on a nationwide basis. You can reach him by calling Optimum SCR at (800) 300-7609 or by visiting the firm's Web site, www.OptimumSCR.com.
Shelley Safian is vice president of marketing for Optimum Supply Chain Recruiters, a recruiting organization that specializes in the placement of management personnel in the logistics field on a nationwide basis. You can reach her by calling Optimum SCR at (800) 300-7609 or by visiting the firm's Web site, www.OptimumSCR.com.

Recent Articles by Donald Jacobson

Survival strategies for logistics professionals

temporary help for the executive suite

how to deal with survivor's guilt

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

  • Ports, maritime operators see tide turning as ocean freight tsunami subsides

Now Playing on DCV-TV

5afe63a5 7125 4318 b851 1e5738df1c91

Patterson Fan Co. | HVLS V-Series Ceiling Fan | Staging Area Air Movement

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The Patterson V-Series is a high-volume, low-speed industrial ceiling fan that is designed to circulate a lot of air at a very low speed. These fans, ranging in diameters of 8’ all the way to 24’, are perfect for large, open spaces such as staging and shipping areas. One 24’ fan can generate a cooling effect of 6 –...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing