RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The common causes of absenteeism include injury, illness or sickness; burnout and stress; the need to provide childcare or eldercare when normal caretaking arrangements have fallen through; and disengagement by employees who are not committed to their jobs, their co-workers, and their employers; and
WHEREAS, A recent study titled "Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer", published by Circadian, a workforce solution company, concludes that unscheduled absenteeism costs employers in the United States roughly $3,600.00 per year for each hourly worker and $2,600.00 per year for each salaried employee; and
WHEREAS, The costs of absenteeism include wages paid.to absent workers; productivity lost due to understaffing; for certain positions, overtime paid to replacement workers; administrative costs related to managing absenteeism, including time spent by departmental managers disciplining errant employees and finding suitable replacement workers; and resentment among employees who religiously come to work, but who, due to their co-workers' habitual absence, are burdened with extra duties and responsibilities; and
WHEREAS, Absenteeism can be difficult to address, because there are both legitimate and poor excuses for missing work, and it can be challenging for employers to monitor, control, and reduce absenteeism in an effective manner; and
WHEREAS, Notwithstanding these challenges, which affect public- and private-sector employers alike, it is particularly critical for public-sector employers like the City of Chicago to do everything in their power to ensure that taxpayer dollars are well spent, and that the vast majority of city workers, who are dedicated to their jobs throughout the year, are not taken advantage of by co-workers who intentionally and habitually miss work entirely or work less than then their full shifts; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are expressly incorporated herein and made part hereof as though fully set forth herein.
SECTION 2. There is hereby established an Absenteeism Task Force, the members of which shall be appointed by the Mayor. The members of this task force may include representatives from the Department of Human Resources, Office of Budget and Management, and the Department of Law; representatives of organized labor; aldermen; a representative ofthe Council Office of Financial Analysis; and representatives of private business and consultants with knowledge of best practices in the area of reducing workforce absenteeism, in addition to any other individuals the Mayor may select. The task force shall examine the causes and extent of absenteeism among city employees, with a view toward adopting recommendations to ameliorate the problem, including changes to law, policies, and procedures.
SECTION 3. The Absenteeism Task Force shall make its initial recommendations for such changes to the Mayor no later than 120 days after its members are appointed, and shall make additional recommendations from time to time, as appropriate, thereafter.
SECTION 4. The Absenteeism Task Force shall arrange for the online posting of City employee absentee data, organized by department and updated on a quarterly basis, for aldermanic and public review.
SECTION 5. The Absenteeism Task Force shall not be part of the City's organizational structure. Its members shall be appointed informally, and it shall conduct its proceedings informally. The task force's recommendations shall not bind the City. The members of the task force shall not receive compensation from the City.
