INTRODUCTION

Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employers
and employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. A satisfactory level of attendance by
employees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targets by a
department. Employee Absenteeism is the absence of an employee from work. It is a major
problem faced by almost all employers of today. Employees are absent from work and thus the
work suffers. Absenteeism of employees from work leads to back logs, piling of work and thus
work delay.

Absenteeism is of two types -

1. Innocent absenteeism - Is one in which the employee is absent from work due to
genuine cause or reason. It may be due to his illness or personal family problem or any
other real reason

2. Culpable Absenteeism - is one in which a person is absent from work without any
genuine reason or cause. He may be pretending to be ill or just wanted a holiday and stay
at home.

Many employees will, on occasions, need a few days off work because of illness, however, when
absences become more frequent or long term and reach an unacceptable level, action by
management is necessary. Absence from work can be expensive in both monetary and human
terms. The costs incurred when an employee is absent from work may include:

(i) Replacing the employee or requiring other staff to cover the absence;

(ii) Inability to provide services, or achieve section and departmental objectives;

(iii) Low morale and general dissatisfaction from other staff, particularly if the absence is
perceived as unwarranted

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NEED FOR THE STUDY

The study aims at the causes of absenteeism of employees in Jaypee cement. At present,
organizations in India take real interest in controlling absenteeism. Measures to prevent strikes
and lockouts have received far and greater attention. One reason for this situation may be that
strikes and lockouts are more noisy and visible while absenteeism is silent and unnoticeable.

The relevance of the study is that, now the company is facing a major issue of high rate
of absenteeism and hope that the study will reveal the reason for it and thereby the organization
can take effective measures for checking the absenteeism.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To find out the various cause for absenteeism

2. To study the various measures adopted by the organization
3. To provide suggestions in the form of solutions to reduce the rate of absenteeism

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It deals

with the objective of a research study, the method of defining the research problem, the type of
hypothesis formulated, the type of data collected, method used for data collecting and analyzing
the data etc. The methodology includes collection of primary and secondary data.

A research design is a basis of framework, which provides guidelines for the rest of
research process. It is the map of blueprint according to which, the research is to be conducted.
The research design specifies the method of study. Research design is prepared after formulating
the research problem.

Data are the raw materials in which marketing research works. The task of data collection
begins after research problem has been defined and research design chalked out. Data collected
are classified into primary data and secondary data

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PRIMARY DATA

Questionnaires were used for collecting primary data

SECONDARY DATA

Secondary data were collected from the company’s annual publications, memorandums of
settlements, newspapers, journals, websites, and from library books

SAMPLING METHOD

Sampling technique used in this study is ‘Random sampling’. The selected sample size is 50.

TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS

Percentage analysis is used

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

 Due to time constraints and busy schedules of the nurses it was difficult to interact with
them completely.
 The responses may be influenced by personal bias.
 Generally do not provide in-depth understanding of underlying issues, reasons or
behavior patterns.
 Incorrectly designed surveys may produce invalid and misleading results.

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 INDUSTRY PROFILE

In the most general sense of the word, cement is a binder, a substance which sets and
hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the
Romans, who used the term "opus caementicium" to describe masonry which resembled concrete
and was made from crushed rock with burnt lime as binder. The volcanic ash and pulverized
brick additives which were added to the burnt lime to obtain a hydraulic binder were later
referred to as cementum, cimentum, cäment and cement. Cements used in construction are
characterized as hydraulic or no hydraulic.

The most important use of cement is the production of mortar and concrete—the bonding
of natural or artificial aggregates to form a strong building material which is durable in the face
of normal environmental effects.

Concrete should not be confused with cement because the term cement refers only to the
dry powder substance used to bind the aggregate materials of concrete. Upon the addition of
water and/or additives the cement mixture is referred to as concrete, especially if aggregates have
been added.

Calcium aluminate cements

Hydraulic cements made primarily from limestone and bauxite. The active ingredients are
monocalcium aluminate CaAl2O4 (CaO · Al2O3 or CA in Cement chemist notation, CCN) and
mayenite Ca12Al14O33 (12 CaO · 7 Al2O3 , or C12A7 in CCN). Strength forms by hydration to
calcium aluminate hydrates. They are welladapted for use in refractory (hightemperature
resistant) concretes, e.g. for furnace linings.

Calcium sulfoaluminate cements

Made from clinkers that include ye'elimite (Ca4(AlO2)6SO4 or C4A3 in Cement

chemist's notation) as a primary phase. They are used in expansive cements, in ultrahigh early
strength cements, and in "lowenergy" cements. Hydration produces ettringite, and specialized

4
physical properties (such as expansion or rapid reaction) are obtained by adjustment of the
availability of calcium and sulfate ions.

Their use as a lowenergy alternative to Portland cement has been pioneered in China,
where several million tons per year are produced. Energy requirements are lower because of the
lower kiln temperatures required for reaction, and the lower amount of limestone (which must be
endothermic ally decarbonated) in the mix. In addition, the lower limestone content and lower
fuel consumption leads to a CO2 emission around half that associated with Portland clinker.
However, SO2 emissions are usually significantly higher. "Natural" Cements correspond to
certain cements of the prePortland era, produced by burning argillaceous limestones at moderate
temperatures. The level of clay components in the limestone (around 3035%) is such that large
amounts of belittle (the low early strength, high late strength mineral in Portland cement) are
formed without the formation of excessive amounts of free lime. As with any natural material,
such cements have highly variable properties.

Geopolymer cements

Made from mixtures of water-soluble alkali metal silicates and aluminosilicate mineral
powders such as fly ash and met kaolin.

Fuels and raw materials

A cement plant consumes 3 to 6 GJ of fuel per tonne of clinker produced, depending on

the raw materials and the process used. Most cement kilns today use coal and petroleum coke as
primary fuels, and to a lesser extent natural gas and fuel oil. Selected waste and byproducts with
recoverable calorific value can be used as fuels in a cement kiln, replacing a portion of
conventional fossil fuels, like coal, if they meet strict specifications.

Selected waste and byproducts containing useful minerals such as calcium, silica,
alumina, and iron can be used as raw materials in the kiln, replacing raw materials such as clay,
shale, and limestone. Because some materials have both useful mineral content and recoverable
calorific value, the distinction between alternative fuels and raw materials is not always clear.

5
For example, sewage sludge has a low but significant calorific value, and burns to give ash
containing minerals useful in the clinker matrix.

Cement industry

Modern cement

In Britain particularly, good quality building stone became ever more expensive during a
period of rapid growth, and it became a common practice to construct prestige buildings from the
new industrial bricks, and to finish them with a stucco to imitate stone. Hydraulic lines were
favored for this, but the need for a fast set time encouraged the development of new cements.
Most famous was Parker's "Roman cement".[8] This was developed by James Parker in the 1780s,
and finally patented in 1796.

It was, in fact, nothing like any material used by the Romans, but was a "Natural cement"
made by burning sectarian – nodules that are found in certain clay deposits, and that contain both
clay minerals and calcium carbonate. The burnt nodules were ground to a fine powder. This
product, made into a mortar with sand, set in 5–15 minutes. The success of "Roman Cement" led
other manufacturers to develop rival products by burning artificial mixtures of clay and chalk.

John Smeaton made an important contribution to the development of cements when he

was planning the construction of the third Eddystone Lighthouse (1755–9) in the English
Channel. He needed a hydraulic mortar that would set and develop some strength in the twelve
hour period between successive high tides.

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 He performed an exhaustive market research on the available hydraulic limes, visiting
their production sites, and noted that the "hydraulicity" of the lime was directly related to the
clay content of the limestone from which it was made.

Smeaton was a civil engineer by profession, and took the idea no further. Apparently
unaware of Smeaton's work, the same principle was identified by Louis Vicat in the first decade
of the nineteenth century. Vicat went on to devise a method of combining chalk and clay into an
intimate mixture, and, burning this, produced an "artificial cement" in 1817. James Frost,
working in Britain, produced what he called "British cement" in a similar manner around the
same time, but did not obtain a patent until 1822. In 1824, Joseph Aspdin patented a similar
material, which he called Portland cement, because the render made from it was in color similar
to the prestigious Portland stone.

Setting time and "early strength" are important characteristics of cements. Hydraulic
limes, "natural" cements, and "artificial" cements all rely upon their belite content for strength
development. Belite develops strength slowly.

Because they were burned at temperatures below 1250 °C, they contained no alite, which
is responsible for early strength in modern cements. The first cement to consistently contain alite
was made by Joseph Aspdin's son William in the early 1840s. This was what we call today
"modern" Portland cement.

Because of the air of mystery with which William Aspdin surrounded his product, others
(e.g., Vicat and I.C. Johnson) have claimed precedence in this invention, but recent analysis[10] of
both his concrete and raw cement have shown that William Aspdin's product made at Northfleet,
Kent was a true alitebased cement.

However, Aspdin's methods were "ruleofthumb" Vicat is responsible for establishing the
chemical basis of these cements, and Johnson established the importance of sintering the mix in
the kiln.

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 COMPANY PROFILE

History

With a single minded focus Shri. Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of Jaypee Group, after
acquiring a Diploma in Civil Engineering in 1950 from the University of Roorkee now (IIT
Roorkee), had a stint with Govt. of U.P. and with steadfast determination to contribute in nation
building, branched off on his own, to start as a civil contractor in 1958,and laid the foundation of
Jaypee Group. The Jaypee story is not a story of privilege or entitlement. It is a story of grit and
gumption; of struggle against incredible odds; of dreams, and the striving and self belief that
turned them into reality.

Information
The Corporate Information section imbibes the vision and the mission statements of the group. It
provides a comprehensive list of the Board of Directors, along with policies on Corporate
Governance and Code of Conduct. The Quality Policy covers aspects pertaining to customer
satisfaction and the efficient use of the vital resources. The efforts of the group are highlighted
by the achievement section which depicts the various awards that are bagged by the group over
the various years. The Group has “CT -1” and “CR 1” grading to its credit.

Vision

“As a group, we are committed to strategic business development in infrastructure, as the key to
nation building in the 21st century. We aim to achieve perfection in everything we undertake
with a commitment to excel. It is the determination to transform every challenge into
opportunity; to seize every opportunity to ensure growth and to grow with a human face.”

Mission

“To achieve Excellence in every sector that we operate in. To augment our core competencies
and adopt the most comprehensive modern technology to overtake the obstacles in our path of
achievement. To obtain sustainable development and simultaneously enhancing the shareholders
value and fulfilling our obligations towards building a better India".

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Management

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the company have envisioned the organization to new heights. The
company is well managed under the foray of these individuals :

Shri Manoj Gaur, Executive Chairman & CEO

Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, Exec. Vice Chairman

Shri S.K. Jain, Vice Chairman

Shri A.K. Sahoo (LIC Nominee), Independent Director

List as on: March, 2013

Company Secretary

Shri H. K. Vaid

Sr.President (Corporate Affairs) & Company Secretary

Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance is a concept in the heart of which lies the immutable principles which
dictates the essence on which a company should ethically conduct the affairs of the business.
Ethics connote the commitment of the company towards its shareholders / stakeholders,
creditors, business associates, the state and the employees at large. Strong Corporate Governance
is indispensable to a resilient and vibrant corporate entity. The principles on which the good
corporate governance is based are simple principles of fairness, transparency and accountability.

Subsidiaries

The Jaypee Group operates through its various subsidiaries which are engaged in different
business segments.

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Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited (JPVL)

The company with its operational power plants - 300 MW Baspa-II (Himachal Pradesh), 400
MW Vishnuprayag (Uttarakhand) and 1000 MW Karcham-Wangtoo (Himachal Pradesh) is
India’s largest Private sector Hydropower producer and is on its way to be an integrated power
producer with expansion in Thermal & Power Transmission.

Jaypee Arunachal Power Limited (JAPL)

The company is setting up two hydropower projects - Lower Siang Project (2700 MW) and the
Hirong Project (500 MW) in Joint Venture with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Jaypee Power Grid Ltd.(JPL)

JPL has been formed for execution of the transmission system between Wangtoo in Kinnaur
district of Himachal Pradesh & Abdullapur in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana for evacuation
of 1000 MW power from Karcham Wangtoo HEP in Himachal Pradesh.

Bhilai Jaypee Cement Limited (BJCL)

The Clinkerisation Unit of the split-located project of BJCL at Babupur, Satna was successfully
commissioned in December 2012. After completion of the project activities of the Grinding Unit
at Bhilai, on schedule, despatch of cement from this Unit has started from June 2013.

Gujarat Jaypee Cement & Infrastructure Limited (GJCIL)

GJCIL was incorporated as a Joint Venture between Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) and
Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Limited (GMDC), inter-alia, to implement a 2.4
Million tones per annum capacity cement plant in District Kutch, Gujarat.

Bokaro Jaypee Cement Limited (BOJCL)

BOJCL, the second joint venture between the Company and SAIL with management control
vested in the Company, is incorporated to set up a 2.1 MTPA capacity cement plant at Bokaro in
Jharkhand.

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Jaypee Cement Corporation Limited (JCCL)

It is proposed to set up an integrated cement plant with a 3.0 Mn tpa cement grinding capacity
along with 26 MW captive power plant at Shahabad Distt., Gulbarga, Karnataka.

Madhya Pradesh Jaypee Minerals Limited (MPJML)

A Joint Venture company between JAL and the Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation
Limited (MPSMCL) to develop the Amelia (North) Coal block.

Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL)

A subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. which has undertaken the implementation of

prestigious Yamuna Expressway Project comprising of 165 KM, 6 Lane Access Controlled
Expressway connecting Noida with Agra.

Jaypee Ganga Infrastructure Corporation Limited (JGICL)

JGICL a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company for implementation of the prestigious 1047
km, long 8-lane Access-Controlled Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Ghazipur- Ballia.

Himalayan Expressway Ltd. (HEL)

The Company will undertake the construction of Zirakpur-Parwanoo Highway connecting

Punjab, Haryana & Himachal Pradesh on BOT basis. The total length of the highway would be
28.690 kms.

Jaypee Sports International Ltd.

Jaypee Sports International Ltd. is incorporated for developing a Greenfield state-of-the-art

Sports Complex including Car Race track for motor sports with related integrated support
infrastructure including townships, cricket stadium, go karting track and auxiliary facilities.

11
 THEORETICAL FRAME WORK

DEFINITIONS OF ABSENTEEISM

i. Absents constitutes a single day of missed work(Martocchio & Jimeno 2003)

ii. Absence occurs whenever a person chooses to allocate time to activities that compete
with scheduled work either to satisfy the waxing and warning of underlying
motivational rhythms(Fichman 1984) or to maximise personal utility(Chelius 1981)
iii. An individuals lack of physical presence at a given location and time when there is a
social expectation for him or her to be there. (Martocchio & Harrison, 1993)
iv. Absenteeism refers to Non-attendance of employee for sheduled work( Gibson, 1966
john, 1978)
v. Absenteeism is defined as a failure of an employee to report to work when he or she is
sheduled to do so
TYPES OF ABSENTEEISM
There are two types of absenteeism, each of which requires a different type of approach.

1. Innocent Absenteeism

Innocent absenteeism refers to employees who are absent for reasons beyond their control; like
sickness and injury. Innocent absenteeism is not culpable which means that it is blameless. In a
labour relations context this means that it cannot be remedied or treated by disciplinary
measures.

2. Culpable Absenteeism

Culpable absenteeism refers to employees who are absent without authorization for reasons
which are within their control. For instance, an employee who is on sick leave even though
he/she is not sick, and it can be proven that the employee was not sick, is guilty of culpable
absenteeism.

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Counseling Innocent Absenteeism

Innocent absenteeism is not blameworthy and therefore disciplinary action is not justified. It is
obviously unfair to punish someone for conduct which is beyond his/her control. Absenteeism,
no matter what the cause, imposes losses on the employer who is also not at fault. The damage
suffered by the employer must be weighed against the employee's right to be sick. There is a
point at which the employer's right to expect the employee to attend regularly and fulfill the
employment contract will outweigh the employee's right to be sick. At such a point the
termination of the employee may be justified, as will be discussed.

The procedure an employer may take for innocent absenteeism is as follows:

Initial counseling(s)
Written counseling(s)
Reduction(s) of hours and/or job reclassification
Discharge
Initial Counseling
Presuming you have communicated attendance expectations generally and have already
identified an employee as a problem, you will have met with him or her as part of your
attendance program and you should now continue to monitor the effect of these efforts on his or
her attendance.
If the absences are intermittent, meet with the employee each time he/she returns to work. If
absence is prolonged, keep in touch with the employee regularly and stay updated on the status
of his/her condition. (Indicate your willingness to assist.)

You may require the employee to provide you with regular medical assessments. This will
enable you to judge whether or not there is any likelihood of the employee providing regular
attendance in future. Regular medical assessments will also give you an idea of what steps the
employee is taking to seek medical or other assistance. Formal meetings in which verbal
warnings are given should be given as appropriate and documented. If no improvement occurs
written warning may be necessary.

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Written Counseling

If the absences persist, you should meet with the employee formally and provide him/her
with a letter of concern. If the absenteeism still continues to persist then the employee should be
given a second letter of concern during another formal meeting. This letter would be stronger
worded in that it would warn the employee that unless attendance improves, termination may be
necessary.

Reduction(s) of hours and or job reclassification

In between the first and second letters the employee may be given the option to reduce his/her
hours to better fit his/her personal circumstances. This option must be voluntarily accepted by
the employee and cannot be offered as an ultimatum, as a reduction in hours is a reduction in pay
and therefore can be looked upon as discipline.

If the nature of the illness or injury is such that the employee is unable to fulfill the requirements
of his/her job, but could for example benefit from modified work, counsel the employee to bid on
jobs of such type if they become available.

Discharge
Only when all the previously noted needs and conditions have been met and everything has been
done to accommodate the employee can termination be considered. An Arbitrator would
consider the following in ruling on an innocent absenteeism dismissal case.

Has the employee done everything possible to regain their health and return to work?

Has the employer provided every assistance possible? (i.e. counseling, support, time off.)

Has the employer informed the employee of the unworkable situation resulting from their
sickness?

Has the employer attempted to accommodate the employee by offering a more suitable position
(if available) or a reduction of hours?

Has enough time elapsed to allow for every possible chance of recovery?

Has the employer treated the employee prejudicially in any way?

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As is evident, a great deal of time and effort must elapse before dismissal can take place.

These points would be used to substantiate or disprove the following two fold test.

The absences must be shown to be clearly excessive.

It must be proven that the employee will be unable to attend work on a regular basis in the future.

Corrective Action for Culpable Absenteeism

As already indicated, culpable absenteeism consists of absences where it can be demonstrated

that the employee is not actually ill and is able to improve his/her attendance. Presuming you
have communicated attendance expectations generally, have identified the employee as a
problem, have met with him/her as part of your attendance program, made your concerns on his
specific absenteeism known and have offered counseling as appropriate, with no improvement
despite your positive efforts, disciplinary procedures may be appropriate.

The procedures for corrective/progressive discipline for culpable absenteeism are generally the
same as for other progressive discipline problems. The discipline should not be prejudicial in any
way. The general procedure is as follows: [Utilizing counseling memorandum]

Initial Warning(s)
Written Warning(s)
Suspension(s)
Discharge
Verbal Warning
Formally meet with the employee and explain that income protection is to be used only
when an employee is legitimately ill. Advise the employee that his/her attendance record must
improve and be maintained at an improved level or further disciplinary action will result. Offer
any counseling or guidance as is appropriate. Give further verbal warnings as required. Review
the employee's income protection records at regular intervals. Where a marked improvement has
been shown, commend the employee. Where there is no improvement a written warning should
be issued.

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Written Warning

Interview the employee again. Show him/her the statistics and point out that there has
been no noticeable (or sufficient) improvement. Listen to the employee to see if there is a valid
reason and offer any assistance you can. If no satisfactory explanation is given, advise the
employee that he/she will be given a written warning. Be specific in your discussion with
him/her and in the counseling memorandum as to the type of action to be taken and when it will
be taken if the record does not improve. As soon as possible after this meeting provide the
employee personally with the written warning and place a copy of his/her file. The written
warning should identify any noticeable pattern

If the amount and/or pattern continue, the next step in progressive discipline may be a second,
stronger written warning. Your decision to provide a second written warning as an alternative to
proceeding to a higher level of discipline (i.e. suspension) will depend on a number of factors.
Such factors are, the severity of the problem, the credibility of the employee's explanations, the
employee's general work performance and length of service.

Suspension

If the problem of culpable absenteeism persists, following the next interview period and
immediately following an absence, the employee should be interviewed and advised that he/she
is to be suspended. The length of the suspension will depend again on the severity of the
problem, the credibility of the employee's explanation, the employee's general work performance
and length of service. Subsequent suspensions are optional depending on the above condition.

Dismissal

Dismissals should only be considered when all of the above conditions and procedures
have been met. The employee, upon displaying no satisfactory improvement, would be dismissed
on the grounds of his/her unwillingness to correct his/her absence record.

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THEORIES OF ABSENTEEISM

Absence behavior is discussed in terms of theories on absences such as the notion of the informal
contract, perceived inequity, and withdrawal from stressful work situations, dynamic conflict,
social exchange, withdrawal, non-attendance, organizationally excused vs. organizationally
unexcused, involuntary vs. voluntary and lastly a four-category taxonomy.

Informal Contract

Gibsson (1966) attempted to explain some of the main features of absence behaviour by
means of the notion of an informal contract. The contract is viewed as being made between the
individual and the organization. Gibsson (1966) was especially interested in absences that were
not long enough to activate formal legitimizing (certification) procedures. He used the concept of
valence, referring to a person’s positive or negative relationships to a work situation and pointed
out that if the combined valences of a work situation are weak, it will be easier for people to
legitimize their absences to themselves.

Gibsson (1966) remarks that a plausible idea relating to the size of the organization influences
absence rates; in larger organizations, since there is greater division of labour, there is also more
concealment of the contributions of individuals, thus permitting latitude for absence from work.
He also mentions the importance of the employee’s identification with the organization, as in the
case of longer-service employees, and argues for the importance of the “authenticity” of the work
contract (Gibsson, 1966). In other words, the organization should be seen to offer a fair deal to
the individual, whose feelings of obligation would thus be strengthened.

In this research Gibsson’s (1966) concept of valence, referring to an individual’s positive

and negative relationship toward a work situation has relevance, as the aim of this research is to
determine whether work-related attitudes (Job Involvement and Organizational Commitment)
predict employee absenteeism. It is hypothesised that employees with low job involvement and
organizational commitment (negative relationship to the work situations) will have higher levels
of absenteeism.

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Resolving Perceived Inequity

Adams (1965), Hill and Trist (1953) and Patchen (1960) have made notable theoretical
contributions towards the study of absenteeism. No recent literature has been identified which has
built on this perspective. Adams (1965) suggested that absences may be a means of resolving
perceived inequity; the probability of absence behaviour will increase with the magnitude of
inequity and if other means of reducing inequity are not available. Patchen (1960) had tested this
kind of hypothesis; producing evidence of a relationship between absences and perceived fairness
of pay, that is, employees’ feelings about how fairly they had been treated in regard to their pay
levels and promotions.

Withdrawal from the Stress of Work Situations

In their study on absence, Hill and Trist (1953; 1962) contributed a theory of absence as
being the withdrawal from the stress of work situations. Withdrawal is the central explanatory
concept; thus, individuals experiencing conflicts of satisfaction and obligations tend to express
them through labour turnover, accidents, and unsanctioned absences (this is, absences without
formal permission). In addition to the views of Hill and Trist (1962), Hanisch and Hulin (1991)
theorised that absenteeism and other withdrawal behaviours reflect invisible attitudes such as job
dissatisfaction, low level of organizational commitment, or an intention to quit. According to this
view, an employee who is absent from work is consciously or unconsciously expressing negative
attachment to the organization.

Dynamic Conflict

The ‘withdrawal’ explanation offered by Hill and Trist (1962) had some subsequent
influence on theoretical discussions by Ås (1962) and Knox (1961). Gadourek (1965) described
the latter as ‘dynamic conflict’ theories. The conflict is located within the individual, and whether
a person stays or withdraws is the result of a complex in incentives and stresses.

Social Exchange

Chadwick-Jones(1982) presented a case for the theory of absenteeism that is social, not
individual in emphasis. As a first step Chadwick-Jones (1982) assumed the interdependency of
members of work organizations. It seems obvious that individuals do have some mutual

18
obligations to peers, subordinates, and superiors (as well as other relationships outside the work
situation). In this context the rights and duties of individuals are both subject to, and
representative of, a set of rules about activities in the work situation. What individuals do is
therefore likely to be in answer to, on behalf of, in defence of, as well as achieving a compromise
with the rules of the group.

The second assumption made by Chadwick-Jones (1982), is that under the employment
contract, some form of social exchange is taking place between employers and employees.
Whatever they exchange in this situation – whether it be their time, effort, or skill or money,
security, congenial friends, or anything else- it will be only what is possible for employees in the
organization. Exchanges may be conceived as between individuals and work groups, or between
work groups and management, but it would not be realistic to conceive of the exchange between
‘the individual’ and ‘the organization’ while disregarding the social conditions and rules.

Chadwick-Jones think of social exchange between employees and employers as

developing in, or as revealed by, a pattern of behaviour in the work situation that includes
absences with all the other factors that constitute the contract, formal and informal, between
employers and employees. Formal factors include pay, hours, disciplinary rules, job duties, and
promotion lines. Informal ones include supervisory styles, peer group relations, and – salient to
their analysis – absence from work. Chadwick-Jones (1982) however, do point out that absences
may not enter into the exchange at all, insofar as some employees or employee groups, especially
those with higher status – supervisors in factories, managers in banks – are absent very little or
hardly at all. It is quite possible, however, that managers possess greater control over the
allocation of their working time and may take periods of ‘time out’ that are not recorded.

Withdrawal

According to Chadwick-Jones (1982), absence from work, where work is defined by the
employee’s presence at a particular location (office or workshop) for a fixed period each day, can
be interpreted as an individual act of choice between alternative activities; as withdrawal or
escape from surveillance; as individual or group resistance to an inflexible system. Thus, absence
may also be viewed as a stratagem in inter-group relations, as a defensive or aggressive act in
inter-group conflict (Chadwick-Jones et al., 1982).

19
 For the purpose of this research this theory has relevance, as the reasons for absence
behaviour could be related to a choice of alternative activities instead of attending work.

Non-attendance

Another definition of absenteeism refers to the non-attendance of

employees for scheduled work (Gibons, 1966; Johns, 1978; Jones, 1971). The definition
distinguishes absenteeism from other forms of non-attendance that are arranged in advanced (e.g.
vacations) and specifically avoids judgements of legitimacy associated with absent events that are
implied by as sick leave. This definitional emphasis seeks to focus on the key organizational
consequences of unscheduled non-attendance – instability in the supply of labour to the
organization resulting in the disruption of scheduled work processes and the loss of under
utilisation of productive capacity (Allen, 1981; Jones, 1971, Nicholson, 1977). For this research
this definition will be applicable, as the researcher will not take into account absences due to
vacation leave and sick leave taken over more than three days.

Organizationally excused vs. organizationally unexcused

In terms of distinguishing among types of absence, one simple distinction that previous
studies (Blau, 1985; Cheloha & Farr, 1980; Firzgibbons & Moch, 1980) made is between
organizationally excused versus organizationally unexcused absences. Based on these studies, it
seems that organizations operationalise excused absence to include (within defined limits)
categories such as personal sickness, jury duty, religious holidays, funeral leave, and
transportation problems. However, as Johns and Nicholson (1982) noted, absence behaviour can
have a variety of meanings for individuals. This research will focus on the organizationally
unexcused type of absenteeism.

Involuntary vs. voluntary

March and Simon (1958) on the other hand, distinguished between two basic types of
absences: involuntary (e.g. certified sickness, funeral attendance) and voluntary (e.g. vocation,
uncertified sickness). Voluntary absences are under the direct control of the employee and are
frequently utilized for personal aims. Conversely, involuntary absences are beyond the
employee’s immediate control.

20
EFFECTS OF ABSENTEEISM

Following are the drawbacks of excessive absenteeism

1. ON INDUSTRY

Absenteeism in industry stops machines, disrupts processes, creates production bottle-necks,

hampers smooth flow or continuity of work, upsets production targets, result in production
losses, increases direct overhead costs , increase work load of the inexperienced , less
experienced or sub standard workers as substitutes, this in turn creating problems of recruitment ,
training, job adjustments, morale and attitudes of the employees.

ON WORKERS

1. Absenteeism reduces workers earnings and ads to his indebtedness, decrease his
purchasing power. Makes it difficult for him to meet necessities of life, leading to
personal problems, and in many cases loss of employment and resultant disaster for his
dependents.
2. It affects both quantity and quality of production. If more number of workers are absent
the total output is affected. If alternative arrangement is made by employing casual
workers who do not posses adequate experience the quality of goods produced is
affected.
3. It affects the efficiency of workers. The workers who join after a long period of absence
would normally be much less efficient.
4. It affects the discipline of the workers adversely. The worker who is attending to his work
irregularly may not care much about the discipline.

Peculiar Features of absenteeism

On the basis of micro studies undertaken in different parts of the country, certain observations
may be made.

a. The rate of absenteeism is the lowest on pay day, it increases considerably on the days
following the payments of wages and bonus.

21
b. Absenteeism is generally high among workers below 15 years of age and those above
40.The younger employees are not regular and punctual, presumably because of the
employment of a large number of newcomers among the younger age groups. While the
older people are not able to withstand the strenuous nature of the work.
c. The rate of absenteeism varies from department to department within a unit. As the size
of the group increases, the rate of absenteeism goes up. This difference in the rate of
absenteeism is believed to be due to the peculiar style and practices of management, the
composition of the laboue force and the culture of the organization.
d. The percentage of absenteeism is generally higher in the day shifts.
e. The percentage of absenteeism is much higher in coal ans mining industries than in
organized industries.
f. Absenteeism in India is seasonal in character.
g. It is the highest during March-April-may, when a land has to be prepared for monsoon
saving, and also in the harvest season, when the rate goes as high as 40 percent.

22
 DATA ANALYSIS
1. Employee able to communicate their feelings for others

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Always 6 10
Very often 15 25
Often 20 33.33
Rarely 10 16.67
Never 9 15
Total 60 100

EMPLOYEE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE

THEIR FEELINGS
No: of Respondents Percentage

33.33
25
20
15 16.67 15
10 10 9
6

always Very often Often Rarely Never

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 33% of employees have an opinion that they can communicate their
feelings to others often, 25% feels it very often. Also we can infer that 17% of the employees’
rate it as rarely and 15% of them never had any such feelings, but 10% of them feel always free
enough to communicate with others.

23
2. Employees - forthright, frank and willingness to stand up for his rights.

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Always 12 20
Frequently 27 45
Occasionally 13 21.67
Rarely 5 8.33
Never 3 5
Total 60 100

FRANKNESS AND WILLINGNESS TO

STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS
No: of Respondents Percentage

45

27
20 21.67

12 13
8.33
5 3 5

always Frequently Occasionaly Rarely Never

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 45% of respondents frequently stand up for their rights, 21% stands for
it occasionally. Also we can infer that 20% of the employees always stand up for their rights
and 8% of them are rare, but 5% of them ignore such views.

24
3. Employee satisfaction at work

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Highly Satisfied 4 6.67
Satisfied 12 20
Neutral 23 38.33
Dissatisfied 18 30
Highly Dissatisfied 3 5
Total 60 100

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AT WORK

No: of Respondents Percentage

38.33

30

23
20
18

12
6.67
4 5
3

Highly Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly

Satisfied Dissatisfied

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 38% of employees have neutral opinion on job satisfaction, 30% are
dissatisfied. Also we can infer that 20% of the employees are satisfied and 7% of them are
highly satisfied, but 5% of them experience high level of dissatisfaction.

25
4. Stress part of work life for employees.

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Strongly Agree 10 16.67
Agree 30 50
Neutral 14 23.33
Disagree 5 8.33
Strongly Disagree 1 1.67
Total 60 100

EMPLOYEES VIEW ON STRESS

No: of Respondents Perentage

50

30
23.33
16.67
14
10 8.33
5
1 1.67

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 50% of respondents agree that stress is part of their work life, 23% of
them view it to be neutral. Also we can infer that, 16% of the employees strongly agree and 8%
of them disagree but 2% of them strongly disagree.

26
5. Work is heavy and tiresome.

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Strongly Agree 16 26.67
Agree 26 43.33
Neutral 12 20
Disagree 5 8.33
Strongly Disagree 1 1.67
Total 60 100

WORK IS HEAVY AND TIRE SOME

No: of Respondents Percentage

43.33

26.67 26
20
16
12
8.33
5
1 1.67

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that, 43.33% feel that their work is heavy and tiresome and 26.67% strongly
agree that their work is heavy or tiresome, 20% of their view is neutral,8% disagree and 2%
strongly disagree.

27
6. Loneliness while working with others

parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

always 7 11.67
Frequently 23 38.33
Sometimes 19 31.67
Rarely 9 15
Never 2 3.33
Total 60 100

LONELINESS WHILE WORKING WITH

OTHERS
No: of Respondents Percentage

38.33

31.67

23
19
15
11.67
9
7
2 3.33

always Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 38% of respondents frequently feel lonesome while working with others,
32% feel it sometimes and also we can infer that 15% of them feel it rarely, 12%always and 3%
never felt so.

28
7. Boredom in their routine work

parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Strongly Agree 9 15
Agree 23 38.33
Neutral 16 26.67
Disagree 10 16.67
Strongly Disagree 2 3.33
Total 60 100

BOREDOM IN ROUTINE WORK

No: of Respondents Percentage

38.33

26.67
23

16 16.67
15

9 10

2 3.33

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 38% of respondents agree that they feel bored when engaged in their
routine work, 27% of their view is neutral and also we can infer that 17% disagree, 15%strongly
agree and 3% strongly disagree.

29
8. Satisfaction with the existing working conditions

parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Highly Satisfied 2 3.33
Satisfied 21 35
Neutral 21 35
Dissatisfied 10 16.67
Highly Dissatisfied 6 10
Total 60 100

SATISFACTION WITH EXISTING

WORKING CONDITION
No: of Respondents Percentage

35 35

21 21
16.67

10 10
6
2 3.33

Highly Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly

Satisfied Dissatisfied

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 35% of respondents are satisfied with the existing working condition,
35% seems to be neutral. Also we can infer that 17% are dissatisfied and 10% are highly
dissatisfied. Only 3% are highly satisfied employees.

30
9. Time for personal activities

Parameters No: of Respondents Percentage

Always 6 10
Frequently 18 30
Sometimes 11 18.33
Rarely 12 20
Never 13 21.67
Total 60 100

TIME FOR PERSONAL ACTIVITIES

No: of Respondents Percentage

30

21.67
20
18 18.33

12 13
10 11

always Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 30% of respondents frequently get time to do things that are really
important for them, 22% don’t agree with this. Also we can infer that 20% who agree are rare
cases and 18% only sometimes. 10% have enough time to deviate for their personal activities.

31
10. Satisfied with the welfare measures

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Highly Satisfied 3 5
Satisfied 15 25
Neutral 13 21.67
Dissatisfied 24 40
Highly Dissatisfied 5 8.33
Total 60 100

SATISFIED WITH THE WELFARE

MEASURES
No: of Respondents Percentage

40

25 24
21.67
15
13
8.33
5 5
3

Highly Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly

Satisfied Dissatisfied

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 40% of respondents are dissatisfied with the welfare measures adopted
by the company, 25% are satisfied and also we can infer that 22% seems to be neutral, 8% are
highly dissatisfied and 5% are highly satisfied.

32
11. Health problems leading to absenteeism?

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Very Often 3 5
Sometimes 18 30
Rarely 31 51.67
No 8 13.33
Total 60 100

HEALTH PROBLEMS
No: of Respondents Percentage

51.67

30 31

18
13.33
8
3 5

Very Often Sometimes Rarely No

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 52% of respondent have the opinion that sickness makes them absent
from work rarely, 30% says from time to time and also we can infer that 22% says sickness alone
does not make them absent from work. 5% very often are absent due to health problems.

33
12 Impact of political or social engagement force them to be absent from work

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Very Often 3 5
Sometimes 16 26.67
Rarely 17 28.33
No 24 40
Total 60 100

IMPACT OF POLITICAL OR SOCIAL

ENGAGEMENT ON ABSENTEEISM
No: of Respondents Percentage

40

28.33
26.67
24

16 17

5
3

Very Often Sometimes Rarely No

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 40% of respondents have an opinion that the political or social
engagement force did not make them absent from work, 28% feel it to be rare and also we can
infer that 27% are satisfied and 5% very often keep themselves absent due to political or social
engagements.

34
13. Habit of alcohol consumption makes them absent

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Often 2 3.33
Very Often 6 10
Sometimes 21 35
Rarely 9 15
No 22 36.67
Total 60 100

HABIT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

MAKES THEM ABSENT
No: of Respondents Percentage

36.67
35

21 22

15
10 9
6
2 3.33

Often Very Often Sometimes Rarely No

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 37% of respondents have an opinion that the habit of alcoholism did not
make them absent from work. 35% says sometimes they are absent for work and also we can
infer that 15 % come under rare cases, 10% are very often and 3% are often absent from work
due to this bad habit.

35
14. Helping hand from the colleagues

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Yes 6 10

No 36 60

To Some Extent 18 30

Total 60 100

HELPING HAND FROM THE

COLLEAGUES
No: of Respondents Percentage

60

36
30

18
10
6

Yes No To Some Extent

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 60% of respondents have an opinion that their colleagues did not help
them in case of personal problems, 30% says to some extent they had received some help and
also we can infer that 10% agree that their colleagues help them in case of any personal
problems.

36
15. Any occupational hazards which prompt the employees to take leave

Parameter No: of Respondents Percentage

Yes 8 13.33

No 52 86.67

Total 60 100

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS WHICH PROMPT TO

TAKE LEAVE
No: of Respondents Percentage

86.67

52

13.33
8

Yes No

INTERPRETATION

It has been inferred that 87% of respondents have an opinion that they are not afraid of any
occupational hazards which prompts them to take leave, 13% show some kind of fear towards
occupational hazards which prompt them to take leave.

37
 FINDINGS

 On analysing the response it is found that, 35% of the employees are dissatisfied with
their work.
 50% of the employees have an opinion that stress is part of their work life.
 43% agree and 27% strongly agree that their work is heavy. From this, it can be
interpreted that the employees are having a hectic work schedule.
 A total of 70% of the employees feel lonely while working with others.
 39% of workers feel bored in their routine work.
 42% don’t have time for their personal activities.
 40% of the workers are not satisfied with the welfare measures adopted by the company.
 Health problems seem to be one of the causes of absenteeism for the work.
 It is also found that 35% of the employees are satisfied with working condition.
 It has been found that 40% of the respondents have an opinion that politics have no
impact on the employee absenteeism.
 60% of the employees feel that their colleagues did not help them in case of personal
problems.

38
 SUGGESTIONS

 The management must intervene in the day to day activities of the employees. They
should provide full-fledged support, guidance and encouragement.

 The management must provide training programme to the employees at a frequent basis.
This will help them to enhance their skill and improve their existing performance. The
management must further, scrutinize the response of the employees after the
implementation of the training programme.

 Overloaded workaholic atmosphere must be avoided, as it may create a lot of stress-

related problems.

 Employees must be encouraged for their creativity and innovative outlook towards their
job assigned.

 Welfare measures of the employees should be improved so as to make the employees feel
more satisfied and contended. A satisfied employee will be more committed to the
organization.

 Medi-claim policies, weekly or monthly medical checkups etc should be provided to the
employees’ in order to make them physically fit for the job.

 The employees should either be provided with transportation facility or housing facility
so that they would have ample time for recreation in substitute for the time they spend in
traveling.

 The management should take necessary action to strengthen the relationship between the
employees.

39
 Conclusion

Jaypee cement. being one of the reputed electronic meter manufacturing companies in
India is also a victim of absenteeism, as one of the curse their organization is facing at present.
The study tries to reveal the factors influencing the absenteeism of employees with some
suggestions which will be of immense aid for the employees as well as the organization to reduce
the absenteeism level. I earnestly desire that, the study might bring some descend in the number
of absentees in the organization, if taken into consideration practically.

To conclude, employees’ dissatisfaction towards job & welfare measures, hectic work
schedule, stress, health problems are some of the major causes of absenteeism. This can be
reduced by the management by implementing various employee satisfactory changes in the
organization. People are the major assets of any organization and taking care of their welfare and
satisfaction is their duty as a whole apart from earning profit. As work environment is becoming
more challenging and complex, the management must also see through it that, it is capable of
managing and bringing in changes at the same pace so as to survive in this competitive scenario.

40
 QUESTIONNAIRE

1. I am able to communicate my feelings to others?

A. Always
B. Very often
C. Often
D. Rarely
E. Never
2. I am forthright, frank and willing to stand up for my rights
A. Always
B. Frequently
C. Occasionally
D. Rarely
E. Never
3. How satisfied I am with my works?
A. Highly Satisfied
B. Satisfied
C. Neutral
D. Dissatisfied
E. Highly Dissatisfied
4. Stress is a part of my work life
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree
5. Do you feel your work is heavy or tiresome?
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree

41
6. Do you feel lonesome while working with others?
A. Always
B. Frequently
C. Sometimes
D. Rarely
E. Never
7. Do you feel boredom in your routine work?
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree
C. Neutral
D. Disagree
E. Strongly Disagree
8. Are you satisfied with the existing working condition?
A. Highly Satisfied
B. Satisfied
C. Neutral
D. Dissatisfied
E. Highly Dissatisfied
9. Do you have time to do things that are really important for you?
A. Always
B. Frequently
C. Sometimes
D. Rarely
E. Never
10. Are you satisfied with the welfare measures adopted by the company?
A. Highly Satisfied
B. Satisfied
C. Neutral
D. Dissatisfied
E. Highly Dissatisfied
F.

42
11. Does sickness makes you absent from work?
A. Very often
B. sometimes
C. very seldom
D. No
12. Does any of the political or social engagement force make you absent from work?
A. Very often
B. sometimes
C. very seldom
D. No
13. Does the habit of alcoholism make you absent from work?
A. Often
B. Very often
C. Sometimes
D. Very seldom
E. No

14. Do your colleagues help in case of personal problem?

A. Yes
B. No
C. To some extent

15. Are you afraid of any occupational hazards which prompt you to take leave?

A. Yes
B. No

43
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

K.ASWATHAPPA, Human resource and Personnel Management, Tata Mc Graw Hilll, 2003.

REDDY P.N and GULSHAN S.S, Principles Business Organizational Management, Eurasia
Publishing House 1990.

http://www.unilecindia.com/

http://www.tau.ac.il

http://etd.unisa.ac.za/ETD-db

www.trainingspotting.com/

44