Regular absenteeism can hobble output and even bring down a business. But fostering a collaborative culture that brings managers together can help companies weather surges of sick days and no-shows. Research by Jorge Tamayo shows how
The best managers, they have found, identify talent and train workers to do multiple tasks, so they can increase employees’ skills and easily move people around to cover a wider range of absent colleagues.
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Absenteeism is so pervasive in Latin America and Asia that 10 percent of a business’ workers might not show up on any given day.
This risk can create tremendous uncertainty, especially for businesses running on low margins, says Jorge Tamayo, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School.
[This article was provided with permission from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.]