Improved Attendance Reduces Burnout, Brings Other Rewards

Stress and burnout can be infectious. The Urgent Care team at Panorama City Medical Center in Southern California struggled with a surge of last-minute sick calls from employees challenged by COVID-related patient care. Unfortunately, those sick calls compounded the sense of burnout for those at work who continued to deliver patient care. In response, the team educated employees about the impact of last-minute sick calls on staff and patients. They encouraged employees to schedule time off, allowing department leaders to plan and maximize staffing resources. They also recognized employees with good attendance. And, after realizing patient volumes were rising, they reviewed the budget and hired 3 part-time LVNs. Over 10 months, the effort helped reduce last-minute sick calls by 40%, from an annual average of 4 days to 2.5 days per full time employee.

Here's What Worked

• Educating staff about the operational challenges caused by last-minute sick calls and encouraging them to schedule time off in advance to minimize staffing disruptions
• Hiring employees to fill staffing gaps, enabling team members to schedule time off
• Recognizing employees for outstanding attendance

What can your team do: Identify the root causes of job-related stress and burnout and work together to minimize them. Encourage employees to plan vacation and mental health days in advance and use sick days for illness. Look for ways to provide staff with needed time off and support advanced planning to cover expected staffing gaps.