Looking for an effective way to address employee attendance issues? Proactively improving your employee handbook and reminding your team of your policies can go a long way to help you avoid absenteeism. Lost productivity will also affect your companys bottom-line in time. Dont make a big deal about the disclosure its important to normalize the discussion. Carefully evaluate all possible options for accommodation on a case-by-case basis. Go through your attendance records thoroughly to check if the employee is frequently late or absent (also known as chronic absenteeism.). Even if every person on your team contributes to attendance issues, having one-on-one conversations can communicate how important it is for everyone to work toward Generally, an attendance write up follows other interventions to address the employee's attendance, such as a meeting with the supervisor or HR. When employees take time off from work for planned vacations or personal days, Its like disciplining a child two weeks after they did something wrong. Even if you dont know the reason, a pattern of absences might indicate that the employee could qualify for intermittent leave. Poor employee morale can be a leading cause of excess absences. First Conversation The purpose of the first conversation is to advise the employee of the attendance issue, It reduces productivity, increases office conflict, and creates more turnover. Delaying the discipline does no favors and just makes it worse when the hammer comes down. The more proactive you are in recruiting, the more time you have to find the right candidate to fill the position. You can include your attendance policy in your employee handbook. 2. In most cases, class attendance is critical to a students mastery of the knowledge and/or skills that are taught in a specific course. SHRM defines excessive absenteeism as two or more occurrences of unexcused absence in a 30-day period.2 Thats a valuable data point to use as a gauge for what counts as excessive absenteeism. Once you have spoken with your employee and learned the reasoning behind their frequent poor attendance, you can work to solve the problem. The important thing is to address problems with chronic absenteeism before it becomes a problem. The ruling in the court case of Williams v. AT&T Mobility Services LLC shows us the importance of demonstrating when an employee is unable to perform the essential job function of regular attendance and punctuality. After meeting with your employee and working to create a solution, the next step is to keep an eye on their future attendance. Time Doctor monitors the apps and websites visited by your team. And if you really want to motivate your team, make things competitive and add in prize rewards to promote excellent attendance. Team members who are always absent can seriously affect your teams productivity. And no matter the size of the company, morale is affected when coworkers have to pick up the slack of a routinely absent worker. Its the morning after Mardi Gras, and Joe calls in sick. Remember, this employee is a valuable part of your business. To decide if the absences are unreasonable, youll need to base your decision on the underlying reason for the absence, your companys policies and procedures when it comes to time off, and the average level of absences expected in your industry or at your worksite. 1: Establish an Attendance Policy. It doesnt record what keys are pressed. Additionally, consider rewarding good attendance, so employees have more of an incentive to come in regularly. Open up conversation and converse with them about their way of behaving. As you plan this conversation, here are a few points to keep in mind. Unplanned employee absences will happen. Say goodbye to no shows that stack up to excessive absenteeism over time. The important thing is to address problems with chronic absenteeism before it becomes a problem. Its easy to assume that every employee with attendance issues is either lazy or completely uninterested in their job. Of course, this is another reason why having an attendance policy at your company is essential. In this case, a well-documented employee attendance points system prevented AT&T from having to accept an employees continued absences and tardiness.4. Maybe they are dealing with a challenging personal situation, such as a divorce or the recent death of a loved one. Keep communication lines open by being available to employees (through video calls, instant messaging, etc.). Approaching this conversation with compassion is an excellent place to start, as your employees may have valid reasons for their absence or tardiness. People have outside-of-work commitments that they need to keep. Unplanned employee absences will happen. Navigate the conversation carefully. Open lines of communication. And it doesnt take very long for absenteeism to negatively affect productivity and business profits. If youre going to achieve your business goals, you need to address these attendance problems before they spiral out of control. Theres no clunky app to worry about pushing out to your employees and talking them into downloading. So why not sign up for Time Doctors 14-day free trial and get one step closer to efficient attendance management? Absenteeism is a big deal. Maintain a mood of curiosity and information gathering, rather than one of condemnation and threats. When an attendance issue is emergent, the employer is encouraged to ask questions to begin the interactive process by requesting the reason for the absence. At this stage, you will discuss reasons for the unplanned absence and advise them of the same implications. Who needs to lay out the company's expectations for attendance and the seriousn If so, review the reasons to see if they are covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. How to issue a verbal warning. But by dealing with attendance issues as soon as they arise, managers can control the issue and reduce the negative effects on the business. Its important that your team knows excessive absences will be handled in a way that lines up with the attendance policy with no surprises or special treatment. Lets look at some of the ways that having employees that are frequently missing work can impact your company. If youve noticed that one or more of your employees have started to miss work beyond what is considered normal at your company, youll want to set up a time to speak with them immediately. The right conversation with your employeeat the right time might be all you need. When the employee was absent: Make sure to notate what days and times the employee was late or absent.Show proof if you have it. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. During this meeting, its essential to listen and be empathetic. If you notice that their attendance improves, though, this is the perfect opportunity to communicate to your employee that you appreciate that they have worked to improve their attendance. When employees take time off from work for planned vacations or personal days, you can plan ahead to ensure that their absence doesnt have a negative effect on productivity, team performance, profits, and work quality. As time worked is tracked down to the minute, its easier to keep track of absenteeism, tardiness, etc., and hold them accountable. Ask what you can do to support them and help them show up on time, as scheduled. [Guide] 5 Tips to Combat Favoritism in Your Hiring Practices, Recruiting Engineers: Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical & More. Do you have any questions about how to approach the topic with your team? And for responses to be effective in getting students to school more often, they need to reflect Its time tohave atalk. While many employees might have legitimate reasons for their absenteeism or tardiness, its also possible that a frequently absent employee already has one foot out the door. Step One: Documentation Record the employees absences to see if any obvious trends or patterns exist. 4. Neuroscience research has shown that employees respond better to rewards and recognition than threats and punishment.5, 6 Instead of fearing the bad, disciplinary outcome, many employees are more inspired by positive reinforcement. Step Four: Potential Accommodations 3. How should you go about communicating the way that their absenteeism has been impacting the business as a whole? Be aware of the possibility that the employee may be entitled to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. For a first offense, issuing a verbal warning can help correct the issue. document and document any conversation, e-mail or counseling given to the employee. Team members making a habit out of excessive late arrivals and early departures is a major problem across multiple industries. There isnt one specific definition of what constitutes excessive absenteeism. Is there anything we can do to help you achieve it?, From now on, Im instructing you to bring a doctors note every time you call out sick. You can also export attendance reports as CSV. Let the employee know youre concerned with their well being. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. Attendance refers to the frequency and consistency with which you show up to an event or commitment, like work or school. The time to talk about an employee attendance problem is when you first notice it. It doesn't have to be anything huge. The definition of how many absences equals an excessive amount is up to you and your attendance policy. Ensure theres a reliable system for keeping track of poor attendance. See how TeamSense saved HelloFresh 3-4 hours per day managing attendance through text. This isnt a disciplinary meeting, so be sure to keep the mood one of information-gathering and concern rather than condemnation or threats. All Rights Reserved. When going into a meeting to address an employees absenteeism, ensure you are willing to listen the employee may have a valid reason for being absent. When an employee frequently misses work or shows up late, it can be easy to assume that they are simply doing so because they dont care about their job. Oh, and the best part? Sometimes the employee will reveal a reason for leave that may be protected by either the FMLA or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dont wait to address attendance issues. The employees with regular attendance are often stuck picking up the slack for their missing co-workers and probably doing tasks they usually wouldnt have to do. As well discuss in the next section, poor attendance can hurt morale in the office. if(!window.mootrack){ !function(t,n,e,o,a){function d(t){var n=~~(Date.now()/3e5),o=document.createElement(e);o.async=!0,o.src=t+"?ts="+n;var a=document.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];a.parentNode.insertBefore(o,a)}t.MooTrackerObject=a,t[a]=t[a]||function(){return t[a].q?void t[a].q.push(arguments):void(t[a].q=[arguments])},window.attachEvent?window.attachEvent("onload",d.bind(this,o)):window.addEventListener("load",d.bind(this,o),!1)}(window,document,"script","https://cdn.stat-track.com/statics/moosend-tracking.min.js","mootrack"); } mootrack('loadForm', '38ce2780f651441391ae144791859771'); Need a policy because of a recent regulatory change? Can I really fire someone for being late? In some cases, you may be able to arrange a flexible work schedule if it doesnt affect your business and other employees. Not only can absenteeism lead to less work getting done, but it can also reduce the quality of the work that does get done. Before you start searching for a new candidate, you might consider whether your organization could benefit from implementing ablind recruitment process. For example, when someone has already started looking for another job, it isnt uncommon for them to mentally check out from their current position. Employee attendance tracking solutions are tamper-proof, so you can be assured that the hours recorded are accurate. Dont discipline an employee with an attendance problem by suspending himits not usually an effective resolution to the problem. It has all the features necessary to help you manage employee attendance with ease. Read the case study here and book your demo today! One of the most apparent impacts of poor attendance on a company is decreased productivity. How to Speak With Employees About Poor Attendance. This plan provides full access for one user. When it comes to attendance issues, focus on fixing the problem rather than punishing the behavior. Its a good idea to proactively deal with the issue of absenteeism by working to improve the policies outlined in your employee handbook. The employee must have been employed for at least 12 months, worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months, and be located at a worksite where at least 50 other company employees are also employed within a 75-mile radius. Managers have access to their teams timesheets so they can quickly review team working hours. Like most issues that crop up in a business, its best to address the problem of absenteeism immediately rather than let it continue for a long time. The ideal organization will have a strong core team of loyal employees that help create a healthy, productive, and thriving culture. As a manager or a business owner, you know that turnover is expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately not great for the company culture. Reiterate how vital excellent attendance is to your operations. State Update Overview Date Updated October 19, 2022 Labor Law Update EEOC Know Your Rights Poster What Changed Language, Format, Protected Criteria, and QR Code Mandatory or Non-Mandatory Mandatory Updated Poster Federal Labor Law Poster On October 19, 2022, the U.S. When your employees see that their coworkers are frequently missing work, on the other hand, theyre much more likely to start thinking about looking for work elsewhere. The goal is to solve the problem thats causing employee absenteeism. Choose a private location and schedule a time when you wont be interrupted. Terms like "epidemic" have been used in relation to school attendance problems in many countries such as Canada, the United Put this requirement in writing, or include it in a performance improvement plan*, with other documented expectations for improvement, such as calling in to speak to a live person, and reducing the number of unscheduled absences. All the employee needs to do is use their phone to text that theyll be out. Its okay to casually address the issue with first-time Safety Signs and Placards & Compliance Signs, HR How To: Dealing with Attendance Issues, Step Two: Consider the Family Medical Leave Act. With your attendance policy clearly laid out in your employee handbook, use that to help back you up as Not only can you keep track of when employees workdays begin and end (or if they showed up at work,) you can also see which tasks theyre working on and the time taken for each task or project. 1. Whether your employees are absent or tardy due to transportation issues, health issues, personal circumstances, or burnout, its essential to understand their barriers to success and find out why they are absent. According to the Academy to Innovate HR, 1.5% of aggregated absence is illness-related.3 That means that anything above that 1.5% threshold is usually because of non-illness-related reasons, such as personal issues or work conflicts. Clearly Communicate Attendance Policies and Absence Procedures. Site Design by The Spinbird Group. If not, it will need to be addressed again. Unplanned employee absences will happen. If you notice a marked improvement, be sure to let the employee know you appreciate the change. Approaching an Employee Attendance Management Conversation. Step Three: Meet with the Employee You understand the need for time off, and recognize that sometimes things come up. While employees may not realize the consequences of their behavior to the organization, excessive absences have a significant impact on workplace productivity. To figure out if an absence is excessivelook at data to find out. If necessary, choose an offsite location like a coffee shop if no private location is available at work. Always discuss issues with employees in a private office/room or video call (if your company is remote). At what point, though, does absenteeism become excessive? Stephanie Hammerwold, is the founder and director of, Managing Employees with Attendance Issues, 30 Day Challenge: Be an Awesome Manager. Before talking with the employee, check with your HR representative. He also has core experience with information technology staffing, and has worked for major software companies such as SAP Business Objects and IBM/Informix Software. 1. If you notice a marked improvement, be sure to let the employee know you appreciate the change. The reasoning behind their absenteeism is very important, and youll want to be compassionate towards your employee when you first reach out about their attendance. Our text-based attendance management system shows you absences in real-time so you can do your job the way you need to. Disability-Related Attendance Issues. Workplace attendance involves coming to work for your scheduled shifts and staying at work for the entire duration of your shifts. And guess what? Low morale in the workplace can have a snowballing effect. Ask questions about the reasons for the employees absences. Note: Time Doctor is not a keylogger. Make sure these policies and procedures are known from the get-go. Once the handbook policies are explained to an employee, all employees should sign, acknowledge, and agree to the handbook policies. Even if several employees have been missing work recently, focusing on each person individually when meeting with them is essential. If you discover the employee was dishonest about his leave, this is also a reason for discipline. For example, if an employee has lost a family member or has issues with childcare, show them compassion, and give them extra time off if necessary. TeamSenses simple absence management tool handles the immediate response when the employee calls out, along with instantly documenting their absence. Whether theyre dealing with a family emergency, feeling sick, or needing a mental health day to avoid burnout, it is perfectly reasonable for employees to be absent occasionally. Working in an environment where an employee is consistently absent can seriously impact the morale of their coworkers. When people frequently miss days, it can mean they get out of their work flow. Most states that update minimum wages do so January 1st is the most popular date for cities and states to make changes to their labor laws, requiring updates to their workplace posters. You should inform the employee that due to continued excessive absence, a formal written warning will be issued, and it will remain in their file for a specified period. Step Six: Disciplinary Action You could also consider allowing employees to work remotely, some or all of the time. A simple-to-use attendance management system is perfect for this and works far better than an Excel spreadsheet to prove your point. Heres what you should include in the attendance policy: Read our article on how to create an effective attendance policy to learn more about attendance policies. Sometimes youll need to be extra understanding. Its time to consider a more streamlined approach attendance management software. Here are some steps you can take to issue a verbal warning easily and appropriately: 1. Meet with the employee privately. Not only will this help you get your case across, but it will also show the employee involved that you are serious about the issue so they are also more likely to take it seriously themselves. This is just one of the many benefits we offer to our Compliance Management Service members. If this is the case, you might be able to adjust their hours slightly so that it works with a public bus schedule. Other situations may require a firmer stance, for example, when employees take a day or two off every week to recover from a weekend of partying. Make use of powerful distraction management features to keep your team focused. The Complete Solution to your Compliance Needs, https://www.laborlawcenter.com/want-a-replacement-plan-and-a-labor-law-poster/, EEOC Releases Updated Know Your Rights Poster, What Every Business Needs to Know about 2023 Labor Law Poster Compliance. Simple as that. Record the employees absences to see if any obvious trends or patterns exist. Once youve discovered the pattern of excessive absenteeism, its time to sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with the team member. People have doctor appointments. How does an organization enforce an employee attendance policy when workforces are comprised of part-time, contract, temporary and flex employees who work different hours and have different expectations? When everything is laid out clearly, management is held accountable to follow through with the same kind of treatment for everyone. Regardless of how reliable and dedicated your team is, there will sometimes be circumstances when they need to miss work. Youll never know unless you ask. Here are a few reasons why you should use attendance management software: You can easily keep track of the number of hours an individual works and the tasks they complete during that time. Stop Doing These 4 Stupid Time-Wasting Activities, 8 Must-Have Time Management and Organizational Skills, The 3 Most Important Factors of Productivity (and How to Improve Them), How to Promote Mental Health in the Workplace, How to Measure & Improve Employee Productivity in the New Year. Our team of experts (which includes lawyers, analysts and HR professionals) keep track of complex legislation, pending changes, new interpretations and evolving case law to provide you with the policies and procedures to keep you ahead of problems. With the attendance report, you can gather precise evidential data of employees tardiness and absenteeism. Discussing their absenteeism in the lunchroom or an open office space with others isnt a good idea. If it detects an employee visiting a non-work-related site, like Facebook or YouTube, an alert pops up on the users screen prompting them to focus on their work. 12 Surefire Ways to Deal With Employee Attendance Issues. Thats why its important to acknowledge when employees have improved their attendance and give public praise for achievements like no unexcused absences or perfect attendance. A small cash bonus for perfect attendance for the quarter, a $25 gift card, or even free company swag can make all the difference to your team. That is particularly true when several employees frequently arrive late or do not come to work. All Rights Reserved. Here are a few things to remember before this meeting: If employees have a good reason for staying off work, be accommodating and sensitive to the situation because each one is unique and requires a different approach. If coming into the office is an issue (for example, due to restrictions following the COVID 19 pandemic), employees can easily work from home, and their hours can still be tracked with attendance management software. Something may be going on in their life that is impacting their ability to arrive on time or perform their job duties. This way, they can speak to you about why they keep missing work. 2. An added benefit is that it also shows you the reason for employee absence. The system sends you real-time, automated notifications altering you that an employee will be outallowing you time to find coverage for the shift. And for responses to be effective in getting students to school more often, they need to reflect Steps to take when dealing with attendance problems: Termination: If it is determined that the employee should be terminated, the employee will be advised that as a result of excessive attendance issues, they will be dismissed. W-4 Employee Widthholding Allowance Cert. 2022 ContractRecruiter.com. Over and over again. Remember, this However, in certain casesperhaps where the worker is the only employee, required to open the doors for business at 8:00an unreasonable hardship might occur. The most reliable way to demonstrate patterns of policy violations is with an absence tracking system. As a result, the employee is late or calls in every Wednesday. Not only is the missing employee not getting their work done on the days they miss or getting less work done on the days they are late, but other employees might lose motivation when their teammates are frequently absent. In its simplest definition, excessive absenteeism is when an employee is absent continuously. An alert also pops up if the employees computer hasnt had any keyboard or mouse activity on for a certain amount of time. First, you must have a way to track the time people take off from work so that the integrity of your Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, your sick leave policy, and/or your paid vacation policy is ensured. People love being rewarded for doing good things. Are you dealing with an employee that is both excessively missing work and behaving inappropriately? Attendance and punctuality should always be listed as essential parts of each employee's job duties. May 17, 2018 Wifi Attendance Super Admin. Fair and consistent accountability is key to effectively enforcing your time and attendance policy, not to mention building respect from your team while inspiring integrity. If youve ruled out FMLA and ADA, and the employee still fails to improve, despite counseling, performance improvement plans and any accommodations you provide, its time to take further disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from employment. TeamSenses software allows your company to track and automatically keep documentation on unapproved absences for dispute resolution or audit purposes (if they pop up later on down the road). Every employee wants to be recognized for the value they bring to your company. In a small business, these effects are even more noticeable, because the size of the company means the work cant always be redistributed among other employees. While any business owner or manager expects occasional absenteeism to crop up throughout the month or year, consistently poor attendance can negatively affect an entire organization. Employees who track time before or at 10 am are considered present., Those who track time from 3 pm would be labeled as partially absent., Team members who dont track time at all will be marked as absent.. Keep track of each employees time and attendance. When they return to work, youll want to monitor their attendance and see if the situation improves. Provide him with any relevant paperwork, such as the FMLA certification form, relevant workers compensation papers if he alleges an injury caused on the job, or a referral to the employee assistance program if its appropriate and your company uses one. 7. Step Five: Requiring Improvement School attendance problems are complex and often very challenging to address. This means that the quality of work can suffer from the frequently absent employee and their teammates. Track attendance issues. You can nip absenteeism in the bud by leveraging smart, user-friendly technology. Provide him with any relevant paperwork, such as the, evaluate all possible options for accommodation, I want to work with you to resolve this problem. The reality is, clearly communicating with an employee about their excessive absenteeism (and addressing the issue head-on) can be tricky. The timesheet report is another powerful attendance management feature. Dont make a practice out of forcing employees to sign acknowledgments of policies theyve never seen or cant access. Include verbal warnings, as well. Attendance management seems to have become a more complicated issue these days as a more flexible and contingent If the employee. In addition to low morale, high absenteeism rates affect productivity and cause teams to miss their project deadlines. If the employee does not provide a justified or protected reason for his attendance problems, inform him of the consequences of continued absenteeism. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have an employee attendance policy and that each employee has a copy of that policy. To determine what qualifies as poor attendance at your organization, youll want to look at the policies and procedures at your company, the typical level of absence expected in your industry, and work to understand the underlying cause of absence for any given employee. From scheduled absences like vacation days to unscheduled absences like sick days, there are times when workers have legitimate reasons to take time off of work. If your employee did communicate that they are dealing with a difficult situation that is impacting their ability to show up for work regularly, it might be best to save this part of the discussion for another time. Begin with the creation of attendance management policies and an employment agreement that both parties agree to. The rest of the team has to step up and handle the absentees responsibilities while juggling multiple tasks. Learn more here: https://www.laborlawcenter.com/want-a-replacement-plan-and-a-labor-law-poster/. For example they can receive a bonus after a years worth of good attendance. *By clicking the button you agree to TeamSense's, *By filling out the form you agree to TeamSense's, Connect with your entire hourly workforce, Get feedback from every member of your team, How to Conduct an Exit Interview (with 50 Sample Questions). Here are a few things you can do with Time Doctor: Here are some Time Doctor features that make employee attendance management super easy: With Time Doctor, time tracking is simple for employees as well as managers. 8. By Andrew Greenberg | July 6, 2022 | 0. Managing employees attendance records can be tedious, and with traditional methods, theres too much room for inaccuracy. Joes not alone 2007 research from time and attendance software provider Kronos suggested that approximately 7 million U.S. workers call in sick after the Super Bowl each year. If your employee handbook says that a warning is issued after three unexcused absences, then be prepared to follow through with those rules. For example, there might be a fairly straightforward obstacle that has been getting in the way of getting to work consistently, such as transportation problems. To get in touch with Andrew, you can reach him by email or by phone at (800) 797-6160. Get full access to HR Insider to make sure it's the right fit for your organization! Its important to first approach the issue with concern and compassion, though. They might be less engaged with the projects theyre working on and rush through them to meet deadlines. And speaking of special treatment, its key that your company applies the rules fairly to everyoneno matter who it is. 1. You can also use this time to explain to your employee how their missed work days impact their team and the business. If the individual has responsibilities they arent taking care of, it often means someone else has to take them on. Companies with 50 or more employeesor who have employed 50 or more workers for at least 20 weeks within the current or previous calendar yearare required to provide unpaid, protected leave to eligible staff members. But school non-attendance is not a new issue. Youve noticed that one of your employees is always out sick the Monday after a holiday. Another one always has a family emergency when projects are due. Prepare for the meeting by gathering all the facts, including dates of absences or tardiness, reasons given for each incident, and any supporting documentation or notes. Generate detailed reports of employee performance. If you notice a marked improvement, be sure to let the employee know you appreciate the change. What is the best way to speak with employees about poor attendance? However, if you want to simplify your attendance process further, youll need a dedicated attendance management software like Time Doctor. This entry was previously published on our HR Tips Newsletter. Make sure your company has a strong sick leave policy, emphasizing that verification may be required. The important thing is to address problems with chronic absenteeism before it becomes a problem. Develop a system for tracking all kinds of employee attendance issues so that you have a clear record of employee behavior to use as evidence when addressing absenteeism. People take vacations. Ask him if there is an explanation for the pattern of absences. Track your employees' absences easily and efficiently with an attendance management system you can use right from your phone. Instead, you can work to create a solution that works both for the employee and for your organization. What suggestions do you have for making sure the issue doesnt continue? Before you go and make accusations, be sure you have documentation to prove that the employee did not report for work. Heres how employees can start tracking time once theyve downloaded the Time Doctor desktop application: The time worked will be recorded, and managers and business owners can easily access this information. Even a simple spreadsheet can be extremely helpful in maintaining awareness of absenteeism on your team. He is also the co-organizer of Running Remote, the worlds largest remote work conference. As an employer, not only is your business reputation at stake, so is the livelihood of everyone in the organization. 5. According to the CDC, the productivity loss related to absenteeism costs employers $225.8 Billion each year, or $1,685 per employee.1. It shows the total amount of billable time worked by an employee either for a single day or across a range of dates. You can even point back to the employee handbook they signed when they started with your company (which should have clearly covered absence and call-out expectations). Of course, at any business, you can also expect that people will have unexpected circumstances crop up occasionally and need to call out for a day or come in late. Sometimes people need a little bit of time away so they can return with focus, engagement, and energy. Additionally, you need to have proof of actual dates and times to prove excessive absenteeism. The underlying cause matters. If no improvement occurs following repeated absences, the management team may proceed with a temporary suspension, which the employee is informed of in writing. Your focus should be on solving a problem, rather than punishing someone for breaking rules. Employee attendance infractions can have severe consequences. If it seems appropriate, given the information youve gained from your employee, you can take this time to remind them of the policies written in the handbook and how they apply to their particular situation. You were expecting itafter all, he was sick the Friday before a long weekend, and the Monday after the big game. Although schools have been addressing coronavirus-induced attendance complications for months, it is difficult to discern whether student attendance is substantially improving with time. But team member absences become excessive when they fall above a normal level of absenteeism or become unreasonable. If your employee is dealing with a distressing personal situation, offering them some time away from work might be appropriate. An employee consistently not coming to work can increase the stress levels of everyone at the office. This approach is a no-fail way to keep track of employee attendance. A clearly defined leave policy i.e., the definition of approved vs. unscheduled absence, unexcused absence, and PTO (paid time off). The sooner you address the problem, the sooner you can implement a solution. When an employee is frequently calling out sick, showing up late, or not showing up at all, the first step is to meet with them privately. How to Speak With Employees About Poor Attendance, Continue to Monitor Attendance After Your Meeting, The Pros and Cons of a Salary Range in Your Job Description, 8 Tips to Help Improve Your Employee Attendance Issues, 20 Benefits of Hiring Remote and Virtual Employees, Phone vs In-Person Interviews: The Pros and Cons of Both, What Are Principal Engineers? Need some quick training on a specific HR topic? Even though ripple effects from the last few years still face the industry, manufacturing is moving forward into a new era of reinventing itself. Include information about how the missed work days have impacted the employees performance. Show them that you appreciate them with these 15 simple (yet meaningful) gestures. Tell the employee youve noticed hes been absent frequently, and explain the effects his attendance has on the company as a whole. This is especially important when the person is otherwise a good Home document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Time Doctor is a leading employee productivity management software thats used by major companies and medium and small businesses to manage employee attendance and boost team productivity. Why talking to your hourly employees about their absences is more effective than automatic disciplinary actions. Here are six tips to help you talk about excessive absenteeism with your employee. Typical changes to watch for are city and state minimum wages, discrimination, OSHA and sick leave laws. When youre running a business, absenteeism is something you cant entirely avoid. Team members also have access to their own timesheets so that they can see their work hours. Without giving notice that theyll be out. If so, check out this recent post about handling employee misconduct like a pro. If this issue has been discussed before: Provide any previous times attendance issues have been discussed with the employee. You can see which of your employees are late or miss work on any day so you dont longer have to scramble around trying to see whos present. While a culture of absenteeism may have been brewing in your office, theres also a chance that several employees have understandable reasons for showing up late or missing work entirely within the same period. For example, lets say you set the shift as 10 am to 7 pm from Monday to Friday: This way, you can save time managing employees schedules and checking attendance. Take the employee into a private room. The QUICK & EASY way for Sales Positions: Which Compensation Package Is Most Appealing? With your attendance policy clearly laid out in your employee handbook, use that to help back you up as you talk with your employee about their excessive absenteeism. Step One: Documentation Ideally youll treat it like you would any other medical issue. Liam Martin is the co-founder of Time Doctorone of the worlds leading time tracking software for remote teams. Often an employee is unaware of how one person calling off impacts sales, service or company image. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. While most employees dont mind taking on an extra task or two every once in a while, it can start to add up over time when they feel that they are pulling more than their own weight. Give him the FMLA certification form for his doctor to complete. Id like you to take a look at this chartit seems to me theres a pattern to your unscheduled absences. Weve got it for you. Step Two: Consider the Family Medical Leave Act This isnt a permanent solutiononce a sustained improvement has been observed, you can remove the verification requirement or graduate the employee from the performance plan. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. Your employee may be having transportation issues or suffering from health problems. Andrew Greenbergs roots in recruiting date back to 1996. Thats just the reality of operating a company with people. When youre starting to drown between employee concerns, payroll duties and helping your CEO -- HR Insider is there to help get the logistical work out of the way. When you first become aware of an attendance issue, its best to gather information and find out why an employee has been coming to work late or not at all. Approaching an Employee Attendance Management Conversation. This form, The Federal Labor Law Poster provides all of the mandatory federal labor law posting requirements. Our engagement survey can help pinpoint issues and get employees back in the door! Youll also have to check the number of sick days and see whether the employee provided a doctors note. Letting excessive absenteeism go on for months before you talk about it does a disservice to everyone involved. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff on remote working and productivity to your email inbox. The first time you address the issue, you want to ensure that the tone remains one of concern and information-gathering rather than discipline. But theres probably something else going on deeper than that. This year we have heard so much talk about minimum wage and retaining workers. But all of these unplanned employee absences are making it hard to run your business. Depending on the structure of your company and the rules laid out in your attendance policy, here are the steps you would have to take for formal disciplinary action: During these sessions, the HR professional, business leader, (or whoever is representing the company) need to lay out the companys expectations for attendance and the seriousness of excessive absences. 5 Things you need to know about tardy employees. If so, please feel free to leave a comment down below, and well get a conversation started! Before approaching an employee about an attendance problem, youll need to gather evidence of the same. You need to make sure no special treatment or favoritism is happening at your company. Attendance issues among employees can have a massive impact on your business if left unchecked. You can do this by following the steps weve laid out here relying on a written attendance policy, accurate attendance data, open dialogue, an accommodating attitude, and finally, commencing formal procedures. after the Third Conversation, they will enter the Formal Attendance Process. If the employee communicates that they will be leaving the job soon for a position at a different company, you at least now have the necessary information to begin the recruiting process. More than ever, businesses are watching the trend in minimum wage increases by states and cities. Well also provide a smart solution to simplify the employee attendance process. You should also warn them that you may terminate their employment if there is no substantial and sustained improvement. The write up serves as an Discuss the specific cost of the employee absences to your business. Weve got it for you. Once you have spoken with your employee, you may find that they dont seem to have a reason to explain their frequent absence from work. Well meet again in 30 days to review your progress and Ill let you know then if this requirement will continue.. In this article, well offer a simple five-step process to help you deal with employee attendance issues. For the little company with big HR goals. If it continues to be an issue, you will want to address it immediately. Here are just a few of the consequences you shouldnt ignore: Chronic absenteeism can affect employee morale. Copyright 2021 HR Insider - a product of Bongarde Media |, Benefits, Compensation & Labour Relations, What Can I say? Some business leaders like to maintain a work culture that is free Has the employee given you an excuse for his absences? Check that employees are aware of the call-in requirements. Prepare the employee for the meeting by letting him know what you plan to discuss: Joe, Id like to meet with you at 3 today, in my office. Did we miss anything regarding speaking with employees about poor attendance? and other time off. (Click on the links below to go to a specific section). Here are some steps you can take to address employee attendance issues: Ensure you have an attendance policy that clearly explains your attendance expectations and the consequences of not following the attendance guidelines. HR Insider provides the resources you need to craft, implement and monitor policies with confidence. And, of course, always have your employee handbook looked at and approved by a labor attorney licensed to practice in your state. Determine how long the pattern has been occurring and see if you can identify the reason. If you suspect this is the case, it might signal that its time to begin the recruiting process if you havent done so already. Now that weve discussed the best option for managing employee attendance lets look at one of the best attendance tracking software available today. How to address employee attendance issues, Step 1: Develop a written attendance policy, A smart solution to your employee attendance issues, Why you need to address employee attendance issues, why you should use attendance management software, sign up for Time Doctors 14-day free trial, Top 10 Time Management Activities and Games for Productivity, Want To Grow Your Online Business? Can you tell me why youve been absent on so many Monday mornings?, Listen to the employees response and evaluate the situation. Upper management or entry-level employeesit makes no difference when it comes to enforcing the rules around excessive absenteeism. Listen and be empathetic, but take the opportunity to reinforce the expectations and requirements of the job. On the plus side, its possible that taking steps to boost morale in the workplace could reduce employee absenteeism. For large businesses with multiple locations across the globe. It makes it difficult for us to get the job done the way we need to., As your supervisor, I keep records of your leave requests. The IRS mandates that every employee must complete the Employees Withholding Allowance Certificate, W-4, before, Legal authorization is necessary prior to depositing funds directly into your employees account. A situation like this can be easily accommodated in most workplaces by adjusting his start time to 8:15 or 8:30. Add into this situation legislated leaves and the requirement for accommodation for disability and family situation and there are a lot of layers to consider. One issue where buy-in can be particularly tricky is attendance. When your coworkers arent putting in the same amount of work as you, it can reduce your enthusiasm, confidence, and willingness to go above and beyond at work. LaborLawCenter, Inc. 2022. There can also be a vicious cycle regarding absenteeism and morale: frequent poor attendance reduces morale, and reduced morale can make it more likely that employees will call out sick or arrive late. From day one on the job, employees should know your attendance policies and who to contact when they are absent. The treatment center doesnt open until 8:00 a.m. the time the employee is due to start work. Doing so can make people feel defensive and embarrassed, and they likely wont feel comfortable sharing why they missed work when an audience is there. Youll be able to recognize when you have a serious employee attendance problem. It only checks if any keys were pressed while the timer is running. Visually representing the leave will help you identify if a pattern of absences is occurringand it can also be a reality check for the employee to see his leave documented in that way. There are questions you should and should not ask employees in different circumstances, and its important to have HR looped in to avoid any potential bumps in the road. Traditional methods of recording employee attendance, such as signing in on a ledger, often lack security measures to protect employees data. But thats easier said than done sometimes. Speaking of your employee handbook, make sure it includes these things: Text written in your workforces primary language, Clarity on the procedures for handling absences, Clear communication on expectations of disciplinary action. Identifying a genuine issue like transportation, child care or illness might allow you to work with the employee to address the absences more effectively. On top of that, absenteeism can completely cripple large front-line operations that depend on manual labor or shift work of hourly employees. More than one employees absences have conveniently coincided with the home games of the local baseball team. In addition to that, make sure reading and understanding the employee handbook is emphasized upfront as part of new hire onboarding and orientation. Note: With business management in mind, we understand that our readers not only need compliance topic blogs, but office communications as well. No, using vacation and sick days doesnt usually fall into the excessive absenteeism category. Preschool teachers and directors have many opportunities talk directly with families about school attendance. Here are some of the other reports you can generate with Time Doctor: To keep your team focused, Time Doctor has a distraction management feature that alerts the user when theyve gone off track. Occasional sniffles and the common cold dont qualifybut if your employee is suffering from migraines, he is likely to be entitled to family medical leave. Talking about the problem. Are you looking for an on-demand recruiting solution built around your needs? That is, unless someone is thoroughly abusing their companys vacation policy or sick leave. 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