Step One: Documentation Over and over again. You can also export attendance reports as CSV. 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. For example, when someone has already started looking for another job, it isnt uncommon for them to mentally check out from their current position. Upper management or entry-level employeesit makes no difference when it comes to enforcing the rules around excessive absenteeism. 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. It can be helpful to create a chart to record the days, or use specific colors to annotate a printed monthly calendar. As well discuss in the next section, poor attendance can hurt morale in the office. These can include phone calls, letters and parent-teacher conferences. For example they can receive a bonus after a years worth of good attendance. People love being rewarded for doing good things. To figure out if an absence is excessivelook at data to find out. As a manager or a business owner, you know that turnover is expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately not great for the company culture. Be aware of the possibility that the employee may be entitled to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. 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. Show them that you appreciate them with these 15 simple (yet meaningful) gestures. Lead by example. Share the chart with him and ask if he, too, notices a pattern to the leave. Record the employees absences to see if any obvious trends or patterns exist. In its simplest definition, excessive absenteeism is when an employee is absent continuously. This approach is a no-fail way to keep track of employee attendance. Well meet again in 30 days to review your progress and Ill let you know then if this requirement will continue.. Get full access to HR Insider to make sure it's the right fit for your organization! Note: Time Doctor is not a keylogger. Why talking to your hourly employees about their absences is more effective than automatic disciplinary actions. In some cases, you may be able to arrange a flexible work schedule if it doesnt affect your business and other employees. Consider requiring the worker to produce a doctors note for each unscheduled absence from the workplace, otherwise he will be considered absent without leave. Its okay to casually address the issue with first-time Youll be able to recognize when you have a serious employee attendance problem. Our engagement survey can help pinpoint issues and get employees back in the door! Team members who are always absent can seriously affect your teams productivity. But team member absences become excessive when they fall above a normal level of absenteeism or become unreasonable. Unplanned employee absences will happen. 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. A situation like this can be easily accommodated in most workplaces by adjusting his start time to 8:15 or 8:30. Your employee may be having transportation issues or suffering from health problems. You understand the need for time off, and recognize that sometimes things come up. After the meeting, monitor your employees attendance and address any additional concerns as soon as they arise. I have some concerns about your attendance that I need to discuss with you., Joe, when youre out, customers notice delays, and your coworkers have to take on the extra work. If you discover the employee was dishonest about his leave, this is also a reason for discipline. Can I really fire someone for being late? In addition to low morale, high absenteeism rates affect productivity and cause teams to miss their project deadlines. Step Two: Consider the Family Medical Leave Act 1: Establish an Attendance Policy. 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. And thats all part of what comes with running an organization. Need some quick training on a specific HR topic? Weve got it for you. Discussing their absenteeism in the lunchroom or an open office space with others isnt a good idea. HR Insider provides the resources you need to craft, implement and monitor policies with confidence. If no improvement occurs following repeated absences, the management team may proceed with a temporary suspension, which the employee is informed of in writing. That is particularly true when several employees frequently arrive late or do not come to work. Its time tohave atalk. But all of these unplanned employee absences are making it hard to run your business. small businesses to track employee vacations, sick time And for responses to be effective in getting students to school more often, they need to reflect How should you go about communicating the way that their absenteeism has been impacting the business as a whole? Assess the situation after a few weeks; if the employee hasnt improved their attendance record, its time to step up your approach and address the issue formally. The sooner you address the problem, the sooner you can implement a solution. 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. Team members also have access to their own timesheets so that they can see their work hours. The reality is, clearly communicating with an employee about their excessive absenteeism (and addressing the issue head-on) can be tricky. No, using vacation and sick days doesnt usually fall into the excessive absenteeism category. 3. For large businesses with multiple locations across the globe. To get in touch with Andrew, you can reach him by email or by phone at (800) 797-6160. They may not realize the negative effect it has on the company when they call out sick. Note: With business management in mind, we understand that our readers not only need compliance topic blogs, but office communications as well. Maintain a mood of curiosity and information gathering, rather than one of condemnation and threats. Focusing on the symptoms of chronic absenteeism versus addressing the root cause can result in unnecessary turnover and wasted time on your part. Delaying the discipline does no favors and just makes it worse when the hammer comes down. Safety Signs and Placards & Compliance Signs, HR How To: Dealing with Attendance Issues, Step Two: Consider the Family Medical Leave Act. 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. Home Even though ripple effects from the last few years still face the industry, manufacturing is moving forward into a new era of reinventing itself. 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. Now that weve discussed the best option for managing employee attendance lets look at one of the best attendance tracking software available today. One of the most apparent impacts of poor attendance on a company is decreased productivity. 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. 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. 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. Due to this, the entire team would be overloaded with work and might show signs of burnout. Additionally, consider rewarding good attendance, so employees have more of an incentive to come in regularly. To expect every one of your team members to have perfect attendance is not realistic in any way, shape, or form. By Andrew Greenberg | July 6, 2022 | 0. Managers have access to their teams timesheets so they can quickly review team working hours. Its a good idea to proactively deal with the issue of absenteeism by working to improve the policies outlined in your employee handbook. 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. In most cases, class attendance is critical to a students mastery of the knowledge and/or skills that are taught in a specific course. 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. How to issue a verbal warning. In this article, well offer a simple five-step process to help you deal with employee attendance issues. Here are some steps you can take to issue a verbal warning easily and appropriately: 1. Remember, this employee is a valuable part of your business. If there is a consistent reason for the employee absences, see if there is a solution you can offer. Even if you dont know the reason, a pattern of absences might indicate that the employee could qualify for intermittent leave. 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. With your attendance policy clearly laid out in your employee handbook, use that to help back you up as Make sure he realizes that continued excessive or undocumented absences could lead to disciplinary action, and even cost him his job. Well also provide a smart solution to simplify the employee attendance process. And no matter the size of the company, morale is affected when coworkers have to pick up the slack of a routinely absent worker. 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. Remind your team member of what was expected of them when they accepted this role. And, of course, always have your employee handbook looked at and approved by a labor attorney licensed to practice in your state. 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. During this meeting, its essential to listen and be empathetic. Who needs to lay out the company's expectations for attendance and the seriousn 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? Before you go and make accusations, be sure you have documentation to prove that the employee did not report for work. This is just one of the many benefits we offer to our Compliance Management Service members. Poor employee morale can be a leading cause of excess absences. There are two times of year where minimum wages tend to change. For example, if the employee provides care for a sick or disabled relative and is required to transport them to treatment on Wednesday mornings. And guess what? 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. That is, unless someone is thoroughly abusing their companys vacation policy or sick leave. As you plan this conversation, here are a few points to keep in mind. First Conversation The purpose of the first conversation is to advise the employee of the attendance issue, 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. Although schools have been addressing coronavirus-induced attendance complications for months, it is difficult to discern whether student attendance is substantially improving with time. Of course, you will want to determine whether or not its appropriate to point to the handbook at this time or discuss the negative impact of their absenteeism on the business. Check that employees are aware of the call-in requirements. 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. Ask him if there is an explanation for the pattern of absences. If the worker does not heed the previous warnings, and the employees absence continues, their contract should be terminated. 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. 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. The timesheet report is another powerful attendance management feature. At what point, though, does absenteeism become excessive? Sometimes people need a little bit of time away so they can return with focus, engagement, and energy. 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. More than one employees absences have conveniently coincided with the home games of the local baseball team. 2022 ContractRecruiter.com. 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. The write up serves as an 5 Things you need to know about tardy employees. Unplanned employee absences will happen. According to the CDC, the productivity loss related to absenteeism costs employers $225.8 Billion each year, or $1,685 per employee.1. Remember, this Attendance management seems to have become a more complicated issue these days as a more flexible and contingent workplace smashes up against an employers ability to manage the presence of their employees and the increase in employee absenteeism. Keep communication lines open by being available to employees (through video calls, instant messaging, etc.). 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. 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. 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. Regardless of how reliable and dedicated your team is, there will sometimes be circumstances when they need to miss work. 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.. If the individual has responsibilities they arent taking care of, it often means someone else has to take them on. This way, they can speak to you about why they keep missing work. All Rights Reserved. As an employer, not only is your business reputation at stake, so is the livelihood of everyone in the organization. This isnt a disciplinary meeting, so be sure to keep the mood one of information-gathering and concern rather than condemnation or threats. Some business leaders like to maintain a work culture that is free There isnt one specific definition of what constitutes excessive absenteeism. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. 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. You can nip absenteeism in the bud by leveraging smart, user-friendly technology. Step Three: Meet with the Employee Step One: Documentation Record the employees absences to see if any obvious trends or patterns exist. 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. Copyright 2021 HR Insider - a product of Bongarde Media |, Benefits, Compensation & Labour Relations, What Can I say? It also eases concerns about whether remote employees are actually working when they say they are, even if they arent physically in the workplace. 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. As a result, the employee is late or calls in every Wednesday. 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. attendance problems, showing a printout of the employees attendance history with the absences highlighted has a dramatic effect (your HR/Payroll office can provide you with this upon request) The employee is less doubting and confrontational when the performance issue is presented clearly and factually The important thing is to address problems with chronic absenteeism before it becomes a problem. LaborLawCenter, Inc. 2022. Weve got it for you. Take the employee into a private room. Generally, an attendance write up follows other interventions to address the employee's attendance, such as a meeting with the supervisor or HR. You can include your attendance policy in your employee handbook. 8. This year we have heard so much talk about minimum wage and retaining workers. If not, it will need to be addressed again. Additionally, you need to have proof of actual dates and times to prove excessive absenteeism. Sometimes youll need to be extra understanding. Include verbal warnings, as well. Always discuss issues with employees in a private office/room or video call (if your company is remote). The handbook policies impacting absenteeism include time and attendance, disability accommodation, leaves of absence, ethical conduct, and disciplinary actions. If this is the case, you might be able to adjust their hours slightly so that it works with a public bus schedule. But thats easier said than done sometimes. However, if you want to simplify your attendance process further, youll need a dedicated attendance management software like Time Doctor. The time to talk about an employee attendance problem is when you first notice it. And for responses to be effective in getting students to school more often, they need to reflect It shows the total amount of billable time worked by an employee either for a single day or across a range of dates. 5. 4. Your focus should be on solving a problem, rather than punishing someone for breaking rules. 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). Lets look at some of the ways that having employees that are frequently missing work can impact your company. Talking about the problem. Yet, it does remain that an organization has the right to expect employees will perform their duties as agreed to including being available when and where expected. TeamSenses simple absence management tool handles the immediate response when the employee calls out, along with instantly documenting their absence. Meet with the employee privately. The rest of the team has to step up and handle the absentees responsibilities while juggling multiple tasks. For the little company with big HR goals. See how TeamSense saved HelloFresh 3-4 hours per day managing attendance through text. 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 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. If your employee is dealing with a distressing personal situation, offering them some time away from work might be appropriate. He is also the co-organizer of Running Remote, the worlds largest remote work conference. Three Steps Lay The Ground Work For Attendance Management Conversations. And speaking of special treatment, its key that your company applies the rules fairly to everyoneno matter who it is. When a new hire sees that the entire team is frequently present and happy to be at work, theres a much higher likelihood that they will want to settle in and stay with the company for many years to come. Or the Friday before. Check if he always calls out on the same days, before or after the weekend, or around major events. It only checks if any keys were pressed while the timer is running. This means that the quality of work can suffer from the frequently absent employee and their teammates. 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. School attendance problems are complex and often very challenging to address. 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. If it continues to be an issue, you will want to address it immediately. 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. Now, some amount of absenteeism is to be expected when running a business. 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. As time worked is tracked down to the minute, its easier to keep track of absenteeism, tardiness, etc., and hold them accountable. 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. You dont want to put them on the spot or ask them about their poor attendance with all their coworkers watching. Once the handbook policies are explained to an employee, all employees should sign, acknowledge, and agree to the handbook policies. Site Design by The Spinbird Group. 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. 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. Carefully evaluate all possible options for accommodation on a case-by-case basis. While employees may not realize the consequences of their behavior to the organization, excessive absences have a significant impact on workplace productivity. If you suspect this is the case, it might signal that its time to begin the recruiting process if you havent done so already. 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. Track attendance issues. Approaching an Employee Attendance Management Conversation. Its easy to assume that every employee with attendance issues is either lazy or completely uninterested in their job. 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. Approaching an Employee Attendance Management Conversation Its the morning after Mardi Gras, and Joe calls in sick. 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. This is especially important when the person is otherwise a good Even if several employees have been missing work recently, focusing on each person individually when meeting with them is essential. The more proactive you are in recruiting, the more time you have to find the right candidate to fill the position. Youve noticed that one of your employees is always out sick the Monday after a holiday. Once you have spoken with your employee and learned the reasoning behind their frequent poor attendance, you can work to solve the problem. 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. If so, feel free to contact us today. Workplace attendance involves coming to work for your scheduled shifts and staying at work for the entire duration of your shifts. Given the impact an employee attendance issue can have on a business, its essential to address it sooner rather than later. An alert also pops up if the employees computer hasnt had any keyboard or mouse activity on for a certain amount of time. If so, check out this recent post about handling employee misconduct like a pro. People take vacations. 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. Another one always has a family emergency when projects are due. Before approaching an employee about an attendance problem, youll need to gather evidence of the same. 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). 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. The goal is to solve the problem thats causing employee absenteeism. Step Two: Consider the Family Medical Leave Act What is the best way to speak with employees about poor attendance? 4. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. The important thing is to address problems with chronic absenteeism before it becomes a problem. 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. 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. Attendance refers to the frequency and consistency with which you show up to an event or commitment, like work or school. Keep track of each employees time and attendance. Keep a neutral tone and remain calm, avoiding judgments or accusations. 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. Include information about how the missed work days have impacted the employees performance. An added benefit is that it also shows you the reason for employee absence. You're not the only one frustrated with attendance management, learn how other managers, like you are using TeamSense to make a change! For a first offense, issuing a verbal warning can help correct the issue. 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. If so, please feel free to leave a comment down below, and well get a conversation started! It doesnt record what keys are pressed. 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. You cant expect your employees to adhere to a strict attendance policy if you continually flout it yourself. Did we miss anything regarding speaking with employees about poor attendance? Here are six tips to help you talk about excessive absenteeism with your employee. Unplanned employee absences will happen. If the employee. When people frequently miss days, it can mean they get out of their work flow. 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. If youre going to achieve your business goals, you need to address these attendance problems before they spiral out of control. People have doctor appointments. Thats just the reality of operating a company with people. Unplanned employee absences will happen. This isnt a disciplinary meeting, so be sure to keep the mood one of information-gathering and concern rather than condemnation or threats. The tension between your employees work and personal life may be causing them a great deal of stress, and just having the opportunity to explain themselves to their manager or the business owner can be an enormous weight off their shoulders. Read the case study here and book your demo today! 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. Youll never know unless you ask. When everything is laid out clearly, management is held accountable to follow through with the same kind of treatment for everyone. Sales Positions: Which Compensation Package Is Most Appealing? after the Third Conversation, they will enter the Formal Attendance Process. If necessary, choose an offsite location like a coffee shop if no private location is available at work. 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. Track your employees' absences easily and efficiently with an attendance management system you can use right from your phone. Sometimes the employee will reveal a reason for leave that may be protected by either the FMLA or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Simple as that. 2. 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. Make sure these policies and procedures are known from the get-go. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. or XLS files. Proactively improving your employee handbook and reminding your team of your policies can go a long way to help you avoid absenteeism. Through open communication, you might find that it is appropriate to give your employee some time off or find another solution that works for them. Before you start searching for a new candidate, you might consider whether your organization could benefit from implementing ablind recruitment process. Once youve prepared the chart and gathered the relevant paperwork, set a time to meet with the employee. 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. Even a simple spreadsheet can be extremely helpful in maintaining awareness of absenteeism on your team. 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. 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. It reduces productivity, increases office conflict, and creates more turnover. When employees take time off from work for planned vacations or personal days, Before talking with the employee, check with your HR representative. People have outside-of-work commitments that they need to keep. You could also consider allowing employees to work remotely, some or all of the time. 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. If this issue has been discussed before: Provide any previous times attendance issues have been discussed with the employee. Of course, this is another reason why having an attendance policy at your company is essential. 6. If you notice a marked improvement, be sure to let the employee know you appreciate the change. 1. Make sure your company has a strong sick leave policy, emphasizing that verification may be required. Clearly Communicate Attendance Policies and Absence Procedures. Reiterate how vital excellent attendance is to your operations. If you notice a marked improvement, be sure to let the employee know you appreciate the change. Generate detailed reports of employee performance. May 17, 2018 Wifi Attendance Super Admin. The right conversation with your employeeat the right time might be all you need. This may involve going back through your attendance register, whether its a written copy, a spreadsheet, etc. Step Five: Requiring Improvement Listen to the employees response and evaluate the situation. If youre More than ever, businesses are watching the trend in minimum wage increases by states and cities. Maybe they are dealing with a challenging personal situation, such as a divorce or the recent death of a loved one. Not only is it ineffective, but it can also create extra liability for your organization. The QUICK & EASY way for School attendance problems are complex and often very challenging to address. 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. Time Doctors work schedules feature lets you set shifts and/or schedules for any of your employees, making it easier to monitor whether employees were late or absent for a shift. Dont discipline an employee with an attendance problem by suspending himits not usually an effective resolution to the problem. This way, theres no confusion employees are aware of what they need to avoid. The ideal organization will have a strong core team of loyal employees that help create a healthy, productive, and thriving culture. Steps to Encourage Employee Attendance. 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. 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. Ensure theres a reliable system for keeping track of poor attendance. An employee consistently not coming to work can increase the stress levels of everyone at the office. Once youve had the opportunity to talk with them, it can help you work to find a solution and determine the next steps to take. The sales floor, lunch room or an open cubical are not the right settings for discussing employee absenteeism. Theres no clunky app to worry about pushing out to your employees and talking them into downloading. If you are dealing with several employees that are absent more than what is considered normal, its possible that low morale is fueling poor performance, employee discontent, and absenteeism. This form, The Federal Labor Law Poster provides all of the mandatory federal labor law posting requirements. Ask what you can do to support them and help them show up on time, as scheduled. 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. Has the employee given you an excuse for his absences? The definition of how many absences equals an excessive amount is up to you and your attendance policy. 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. Explain how the missed work days hurt the business, too. The underlying cause matters. Open lines of communication. Dont wait for chronic attendance issues to keep popping up before you address your workplaces requirements and make your expectations clear. Learn more here: https://www.laborlawcenter.com/want-a-replacement-plan-and-a-labor-law-poster/. 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. But by dealing with attendance issues as soon as they arise, managers can control the issue and reduce the negative effects on the business. Preschool teachers and directors have many opportunities talk directly with families about school attendance. From day one on the job, employees should know your attendance policies and who to contact when they are absent. Review the plan periodicallyat 30, 60 and 90 daysto determine if the employees attendance has improved. Go through your attendance records thoroughly to check if the employee is frequently late or absent (also known as chronic absenteeism.). What suggestions do you have for making sure the issue doesnt continue? (Click on the links below to go to a specific section). But school non-attendance is not a new issue. If so, review the reasons to see if they are covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. Make use of powerful distraction management features to keep your team focused. Traditional methods of recording employee attendance, such as signing in on a ledger, often lack security measures to protect employees data. Say goodbye to no shows that stack up to excessive absenteeism over time. So why not sign up for Time Doctors 14-day free trial and get one step closer to efficient attendance management? Tell the employee youve noticed hes been absent frequently, and explain the effects his attendance has on the company as a whole. Identifying a genuine issue like transportation, child care or illness might allow you to work with the employee to address the absences more effectively. 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. 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. It has all the features necessary to help you manage employee attendance with ease. Liam Martin is the co-founder of Time Doctorone of the worlds leading time tracking software for remote teams. 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. Pay attention to improvement in attendance. 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. Do you have any questions about how to approach the topic with your team? Stephanie Hammerwold, is the founder and director of, Managing Employees with Attendance Issues, 30 Day Challenge: Be an Awesome Manager. Its like disciplining a child two weeks after they did something wrong. Looking for an effective way to address employee attendance issues? Every employee wants to be recognized for the value they bring to your company. Exempt and nonexempt employees as part of the, Host the meeting in a private place, not at the employees cubicle where anyone can eavesdrop. 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. Approaching this conversation with compassion is an excellent place to start, as your employees may have valid reasons for their absence or tardiness. People get sick. But theres probably something else going on deeper than that. Time Doctor monitors the apps and websites visited by your team. [Guide] 5 Tips to Combat Favoritism in Your Hiring Practices, Recruiting Engineers: Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical & More. 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? When it comes to attendance issues, focus on fixing the problem rather than punishing the behavior. It doesn't have to be anything huge. Discuss the specific cost of the employee absences to your business. Something may be going on in their life that is impacting their ability to arrive on time or perform their job duties. 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. and other time off. 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. The system sends you real-time, automated notifications altering you that an employee will be outallowing you time to find coverage for the shift. Id like you to take a look at this chartit seems to me theres a pattern to your unscheduled absences. 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? Dont make a practice out of forcing employees to sign acknowledgments of policies theyve never seen or cant access. Are you looking for an on-demand recruiting solution built around your needs? All Rights Reserved. HR documentation that dictates company policy: Whether you copy and paste the policy At this stage, you will discuss reasons for the unplanned absence and advise them of the same implications. 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. 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. 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. A consistent reason for the employee given you an excuse for his absences on. Go to a students mastery of the knowledge and/or skills that are taught in a specific )., check out this recent post about handling employee misconduct like a pro a neutral tone and remain,. Chronic absenteeism versus addressing the root cause can result in unnecessary turnover and wasted time your! His attendance has on the same kind of treatment for everyone or FMLA, need. Impact an employee attendance problem by suspending himits not usually an effective to... Is running impacts of poor attendance can hurt morale in the office is your.. Coronavirus-Induced attendance complications for months, it often means someone else has to a! Having an attendance management feature at some of the local baseball team to the frequency and attendance issue conversation with you! Lunch room or an open office space with others isnt a disciplinary meeting, your... 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