How do you manage employee absences? If you have a shift-based working schedule, you may wonder how to track your employees’ attendance. Here are a few tips for implementing an attendance policy in your organization. Keeping track of employees’ absences is vital for several reasons, including improving the quality of your customer service and reducing costs. However, if you want to get the most out of your employees, you must manage their absences effectively.
Communication
In managing employee absence, communication is vital. If an employee misses work frequently, it’s crucial to communicate with them and let them know that they can’t be expected to perform to their fullest potential. On the other hand, employees might be experiencing personal issues, physical ailments, or feeling burned out and need a break. In either case, communication should help clear the air and keep all parties on the same page. Listed below are some communication tips when managing employee absence:
Be available for employees. If employees call in sick or fail to show up for work, they must address their absences immediately. Employees tend to sign on to work when the boss is readily available. However, it’s essential not to delay communication or take the employee’s absences personally. When communicating with an employee about a lack, provide multiple methods of communication, and ensure you communicate with them regularly.
Clear attendance policy
Creating a clear attendance policy as part of a time and attendance system is essential if you manage employee absences effectively. It lists the rules that all employees are expected to follow and will allow you to run your business more efficiently and effectively. This policy should be easy to understand and follow and include a clear description of who can take time off, when, and what consequences there will be for non-compliance. Before you start drafting your attendance policy, you should talk with your managers to determine what they are currently doing to address this issue.
When creating your attendance policy, ensure each category means the same thing to all employees. For example, ensure that the definition of “absent” is as objective as possible. This will make it easier for managers to distinguish between “tardiness” and “absence.” Also, ensure that the definitions of absenteeism are clearly stated so that employees can understand them. If you do not follow your attendance policy, you may risk losing a good employee, so ensure you have clear guidelines for your staff.
Documenting absences
An absence management system makes documentation of unapproved absences easy. Employee absence requests are timestamped and documented in the absence management system. A customizable search function makes it easy to understand an employee’s unique circumstances, including their cause of absence, call-out reasons, and symptoms. The system’s HIPAA-compliant servers protect the privacy of all employee data, including absence requests. The benefits of using such a system far outweigh the risks.
Using a chart or colored calendar to document employee absences can help you identify patterns. It also provides a reality check for employees. For example, suppose an employee consistently misses more than half of the scheduled workweek. In that case, it may be time to reassess the employee’s workload or set expectations. However, you should consider terminating the employee’s tenure if the absences continue. Otherwise, it may result in disciplinary action and possibly even job loss.
Punctuality in shift-based work environments
If you manage a company with shift-based working hours, your workers must be on time or early. Time is of the essence, and punctuality is a critical component of productivity. Since hourly employees are typically expected to work in fast-paced environments, delay can be a severe problem. Here are some ways to improve punctuality in shift-based work environments:
Being late or absent from work is bad for business in a restaurant setting. Not only does it cost you a customer, but it also creates extra work for your manager. Plus, it makes your colleagues and boss uncomfortable. Your absence creates an enormous workload and snarls your colleagues. A recent study by the Integrated Benefits Institute suggests that employees are absent from work 893 million days a year, which is a large percentage.
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