Everything we publish on unplanned absence, sick leave, return-to-work, and staff retention. Written for operations managers and team leaders, not HR auditors. Free, with sources cited.
A one-page script aligned to Fair Work guidance, with sample questions and three Australian SMB examples. The single highest-leverage habit you build with absence data.
The definition, the common causes, and why it is the absence type worth tracking.
The NES 10-day rule, accrual and carry-over, part-time pro-rata, casuals, and evidence.
The cost per employee, the economy-wide figure, and a five-minute calculator for your own number.
The difference, why presenteeism often costs more, and how to manage both.
Why Monday and Friday absences cluster, what the pattern means, and how to handle it fairly.
Why absence leads every other retention signal, and how to read it without surveilling people.
Measure it, close the return-to-work loop, spot patterns, add flexibility, and set a fair policy.
Average sick days per employee, cost per worker, share of payroll, and sector variation.
The formula, a worked example, and a browser calculator for your team's rate.
Estimate the NES allowance for full-time, part-time, and mid-year starters.
Score absence so frequent short spells weigh more, and use it fairly under Australian law.
Estimate what one absence costs: paid leave, cover, and manager admin time.
The full hazard list, your enforceable WHS duties, and a four-step plan for a small team.
Spot burnout early, understand the causes, and take practical action before it becomes a resignation.
Seven steps to reduce staff turnover, with the cost data and the early-warning signal most SMBs miss.
The eight signs of disengagement, why it happens, and how a manager responds without making it worse.
Your turnover rate and the cost of replacing the people who left, with a healthy-rate guide.
What the Fair Work Act protects, the 3-month rule, and how to handle excessive absence the right way.
When evidence is reasonable, the single-day question, and statutory declarations.
Questions to use, questions to avoid, and the privacy and discrimination lines to hold.
One shared balance, the 2 days unpaid carer's leave, and who counts as immediate family.
What to look for, the NES and Privacy Act questions to ask, and a side-by-side comparison.
Where the spreadsheet fails, when it still works, and how to migrate in an afternoon.
An honest annual cost and feature comparison against other absence tools, including when a competitor fits better.
Absence gives you NES-aligned allowance tracking, a return-to-work queue, and day-of-week patterns, with data stored in Australia. Free for teams of 5. Set up in 5 minutes.
