OCS: Transforming Absence Management with Real-Time Data
How a leading facilities management company achieved full visibility of absence across regions, reduced agency costs, and improved employee support with Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting service.
Absence Management for a Highly Operational Workforce
Before partnering with Honeydew, OCS had no clear picture of absence levels across its different regions and contracts. Local records were inconsistent and incomplete, making it nearly impossible to identify trends, address high absence rates, or offer targeted employee support.
With Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting and Engage absence management software, OCS gained real-time visibility of absence across the organisation - empowering managers, reducing reliance on costly agency cover, and enabling a consistent approach nationwide.
HR Transformation Lead, OCS
“Now we’ve got knowledge, we’ve got awareness."
HR Transformation Lead, OCS
"From a go-live perspective, I don’t think I could have asked for it to go any more perfectly."
HR Transformation Lead, OCS
“It’s the whole complete end-to-end package - from the information and tools to the support, knowledge, and guidance throughout.”
The Challenge
Key Absence Management Challenges
OCS needed a way to bring structure, accuracy, and consistency to absence reporting across multiple contracts and regions. Without a centralised system, managers and HR teams were working with fragmented information, making it difficult to identify trends, control costs, or support employees effectively.
Before Honeydew:
- Inconsistent and incomplete local absence data
- No visibility of absence trends across regions or nationally
- Limited ability to provide targeted employee support
- High agency costs to cover absences
- Fragmented procedures across different contracts
The Solution
The Solution: Day-1 Absence Reporting & Engage Software
OCS first introduced Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting service in 2012, starting with its London Security teams. Over the years, the service has been rolled out in phases to Healthcare, Education, and Government contracts, often introducing 1,000–2,000 employees at a time.
The latest rollout, in July 2023, saw 1,700 Government sector staff added to the service, supported by:
- 24/7 Absence Reporting Line – ensuring coverage at all hours for a 24/7 operation
- Instant Notifications – sent to the right managers and stakeholders in real time
- Live Data & Insights – Engage software provides detailed absence reasons, trends, and cost data
- Bespoke Implementation Support – from initial planning to go-live, Honeydew’s team guided OCS every step of the way
The Results
Results: Full Visibility and Stronger Support
The impact of introducing Day-1 Absence Reporting and Engage has been transformative
The situation now:
- Accurate, consistent absence data across regions and contracts
- Improved ability to support employees in line with absence policy
- Reduced agency costs by improving absence planning and cover arrangements
- Greater operational efficiency through instant reporting and notifications
- Cultural shift towards proactive absence management
Could this be your story too?
If your organisation is struggling with incomplete absence data, inconsistent processes, or high cover costs, Honeydew can help.
Let’s build a solution that works for your workforce, your managers, and your people.