A sit-down scrubber can reduce scrubbing time from eight hours to two hours. Provide backpack vacuum cleaners and daily written schedules for workers to sign as they complete their daily routines. Gather data on employee work routines to assess how time is being used. A district that accepts 35 percent will need twice as many workers as one that can ensure that 70 percent of employees' time is spent on work orders. In a similar vein, look at the efficiency of your buses.
Absenteeism can cost millions per year in substitutes and overtime.
My experience indicates that absenteeism can be reduced 20 to 50 percent by holding people accountable to negotiated or management standards that establish when sick leave may be used. Once the standards are set, develop a reporting system that gives front-line managers information on employees' use of sick leave. Establish progressive discipline steps to enforce the standard. Implement a safety plan. Worker compensation costs can run as high as 3 percent of a district's payroll.