Guardian Eye’s AVA transforms employee attendance at Vox

April 18, 2024

Guardian Eye’s AVA transforms employee attendance at Vox

TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES:

  • AVA provides accessible telemedicine consultations in real-time, 24/7
  • Remote patient monitoring and information gathering
  • Five exchangeable modules for the Higo device that include dermhood, stethoscope, throat exam module, otoscope and thermometer

 

BUSINESS VALUE:

  • Improved staff attendance and reduced sick leave burden on the business
  • Accessible and affordable healthcare on-site with access to medical practitioners
  • Digital health records for all employees and convenient healthcare

 

Vox, a leading internet service provider, wanted to reduce the number of employees taking extended sick leave through the use of the ground-breaking AVA solution developed by Guardian Eye. The goal was to ensure employees felt supported with accessible medical care while minimising absenteeism.

“In 2023, we had around 22% sick leave days taken by employees and we wanted to find a way of reducing that number without compromising on employee health,” says Jacques Du Toit, CEO at Vox. “We approached Guardian Eye as we felt their AVA solution would be the right fit for our business and what we wanted to achieve.”

The Guardian Eye team used the Bradford Factor calculator, also known as the Bradford Formula, to ascertain how many unplanned absences were being taken in the business and give them a clear weighting that indicates the company’s overall absenteeism. The results then allowed the team to create a clear picture of the business and how many people were taking unplanned leave, the volumes of sick leave, and overall sick leave behaviours. It allowed for Vox to identify which people were working despite being unwell as they couldn’t afford the time out to see the doctor, and those who were gaming the system.

The team then agreed to trial the AVA solution for a period of six months to see how well it worked within the business and if it delivered the right results. The goal was to provide a service that any employee could access, regardless of healthcare plan or role.

“Some employees only have a basic healthcare package so having to pay to see a doctor while missing time at work can really affect their quality of life and stress levels,” says Du Toit. “Our implementation of AVA has allowed for this group to access on-demand healthcare with a physician without the cost or time factor. AVA is hugely beneficial across all employees who want cost-effective access to a doctor – R50 as opposed to R500-R700 – so they can either go home and recover or have reassurance that they are well enough to work.”

The solution has had an impressive impact on the Vox employee absenteeism numbers, as well as on staff morale. Du Toit said: “When we initially implemented the solution, we were concerned that employees would feel we were micro-managing them but it turned out the opposite was true. Employees felt that we were helping them, giving them cost-effective access to healthcare so they could make more informed decisions about their leave and wellbeing.”

Another surprise was the number of people asking when the solution would be reinstated after the trial period had expired. The solution not only saw traction with employees, but it also significantly reduced absenteeism. When Jacques worked through the numbers, for the six-month period when AVA was in use, the company only logged 1,200 days of sick leave, down from the expected 2, 300 days within that period of time.

“While these numbers are not precise, we would need to compare these over a longer period of time, there is a very clear downward trend,” concludes Du Toit. “This is so beneficial to the business and other employees. Both sides are saving time and money, while reducing the impact of excessive absenteeism.”

PULL QUOTE: “The burden of sick leave is felt by the business, but also by other employees who have to pick up the slack. This is further complicated when people cannot afford to spend time and money seeing a doctor and they then bring illness into the company. When everyone has access to affordable healthcare in the office, the dynamic changes completely. AVA has been revelatory, for us, and for our employees.”  – Jacques Du Toit, CEO of Vox