Postal Managers In New York Tackle Employees Sick Leave Usage
 

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) may prove to be just the right medicine to cure sick leave usage at the Buffalo, NY, P&DC.

Misused or excessive sick leave can lead to increased overtime, increased power usage due to additional machine and plant runtime, production delays, and poor employee morale. In March, the Buffalo P&DC’s sick leave rate for FY 2009 was 5.72 percent, well above the 4.95 percent rate at the end of FY 2007.

The team decided to use LSS methodology to study sick leave usage at the plant. First, team members developed a list of interview questions for supervisors and managers. Next, the team conducted a brainstorming session on the causes of inconsistent policy administration and cataloged primary causes.

The team decided that employee awareness and responsibility, along with policy administration, should be more effectively and uniformly communicated to everyone in the organization. Team recommendations included increased and consistent communication about sick leave policies and improved training for supervisors.

To monitor changes in sick leave use, the team created metrics charts for each manager and supervisor, along with a service talk for employees. The team’s goal is to reduce the plant’s sick leave rate to 3.5 percent this fiscal year.

Source: USPS News Link