Everyone has an off day every now and again. Your employees are only human. From time to time, they get sick and have family problems, which will impact their productivity.

If one of your employees comes into work weighed down by external forces, telling them to go home is likely best for everyone. Many will contest, but hold firm on your request. Make it clear you are not upset, but simply want the person to deal with the issue, so they can come back ready to commit 100% effort to their job.

Four Reasons to Give Sick and Distressed Employees the Day Off

1. People are Unable to Concentrate When Their Mind is Elsewhere

When someone is feeling under the weather or going through personal issues, this weighs heavily on their mind. Often all-encompassing, this is likely all they will think about at work, deeming them essentially useless. Any assignments completed in this state will be subpar at best, so instead of forcing it, allow them to take the day to themselves. Hand off pertinent tasks to a capable colleague and let them tackle the rest of their work in a better state of mind tomorrow.

2. Mistakes Happen When Employees Lack Focus

Since employees who are sick or preoccupied with family matters are unable to concentrate, their work is often laden with errors. Having them continue to work in this state is useless, because all work will have to be re-done anyway. Furthermore, people working in certain jobs can actually be a liability, such as those requiring them to operate heavy machinery.

3. Distracted Staffers Disrupt the Entire Team

Working in close quarters with someone who is clearly ill or visibly upset by a personal issue is incredibly distracting. No one can get work done when trying to counsel a distressed team member or care for a sick one. Plus, an employee with a contagious illness will likely spread their germs throughout the office, infecting everyone else, causing the whole team to become sick and sluggish.

4. Having the Day Off Allows People to Deal With Their Problem

When people have the day off to recover from an illness or handle a personal issue, they come back to work free of distractions. A day or two of lost productivity is nothing compared with an entire week — or more — of lackluster performance. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot.

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