Verzuimreductie sprint

When stress-related absenteeism increases, a standalone training session or a one-off initiative is often not enough. Usually, multiple factors come into play simultaneously: workload, priorities, leadership, collaboration, and recovery.

The Absence Reduction Sprint helps HR and management quickly get to the core of the issue in 8–12 weeks and initiate targeted improvements.

When is the Absence Reduction Sprint suitable?

The sprint can be beneficial if you notice, for example, that:

• stress-related absence indicators are on the rise;
• workload remains structurally high;
• different teams experience different bottlenecks;
• managers identify signs of overload too late;
• interventions have already been implemented, but lack coherence or follow-up;
• HR and management need clear priorities.

From insight to targeted action

1. Insight

We map out which factors within the organisation or selected teams contribute to workload, stress, and the risk of absence.

To achieve this, we can draw upon the Stress Scan, interviews, and available absence or operational data.

2. Setting priorities

Not everything needs to be addressed at once. We determine which topics require immediate attention and where change is practically feasible.

3. Targeted improvement

The selected measures can focus on teams, managers, or broader working agreements within the organisation.

4. Evaluating and sustaining

We evaluate what has changed, which agreements are working, and what remains necessary to prevent relapsing into old patterns as much as possible.

What can the measures focus on?

Teams

Think of workload, priorities, collaboration, task allocation, and recovery during busy periods.

Managers

We can focus on early detection, workload conversations, setting boundaries, and steering more clearly towards achievable priorities.

Organisation

Where necessary, we examine broader agreements, responsibilities, and processes that create unnecessary pressure or ambiguity.

What will you receive?

• a clear overview of the primary stress and workload factors;
• concrete priorities for the initial improvement steps;
• a practical intervention plan;
• clarity on roles and responsibilities;
• agreements regarding evaluation and further follow-up.

For HR, management, and leaders

An effective approach requires collaboration. HR maintains the overall overview, management enables decision-making, and managers translate these choices into daily practice.

That is why we align in advance on who needs to be involved and what is required of each role.

Handling personal information with care

During analyses and assessments, we establish clear prior agreements regarding privacy, access to information, and reporting.

When results are utilised at the team or organisational level, we ensure sufficient group sizes to safeguard against the identifiability of individual employees.

Starting small is also an option

The Absence Reduction Sprint does not need to be rolled out organisation-wide immediately. You can start with a single team, department, or location, and decide on scaling up based on the initial experience.

Is a sprint the right approach?

During a brief intake, we discuss current challenges, what information is already available, and whether an 8–12-week programme is suitable.

Would you first like an initial overview of potential focus areas? The Stress Scan can serve as a practical starting point.