Liberty Mutual has released a new report highlighting 10 bestpractices for reducing employee absences, based on findings fromthe 2008 Leadership Series -- Absence Management. Thesymposium, co-sponsored by the Disability Management EmployerCoalition, gathered over 80 human resource professionals to discusshow to manage employee absences.

"When an employee is out, the employer's bottom line is hittwice," says Greg VanDam, Senior Vice President and General Managerof Claims and Technology at Liberty Mutual Group Benefits. "First,are the costs directly connected to the absence, such as any salaryor benefits paid to the absent worker. Second, are the indirectcosts, such as overtime or temporary workers."

Some of the most successful practices identified at thesymposium include a central date system incorporating all officesthat records all absences, including everything from sick days andvacation, to jury duty. The report can be found atwww.libertymutualgroup.com/leadershipseries, along with a Webcastand podcast.