To run a successful company, it is important to have the right people around you. However, hurrying through the hiring process might lead to expensive mistakes.
Workers who fail to report for duty might cause damage to your company.
However, managing absenteeism among employees can be difficult for most businesses. So, if you want to succeed, you have to deal with these problems before they become out of control.
This blog aims to assist you in managing employee attendance and offers advice on do’s and don’ts for addressing employee attendance issues.
What is Workplace Absenteeism?
Absenteeism among staff is the result of a pattern of missing work, arriving late, or calling in late regularly without explaining.
Everyone may occasionally miss work due to personal or health-related causes. But when employees don’t report their absences or rely on the employer’s forgiveness to get out of their work, absenteeism does become an issue.
An example of an uncontrollable absence is when a worker rings in to report that they will be running late because of a flat wheel. However, if that worker consistently misses work due to unavailability, it may be a sign of chronic absenteeism rather than a one-time issue. You should begin managing employee attendance at that point.
Addressing Employee Attendance Issues
Employee absence must be treated fairly to avoid the challenging behavior of staff for smooth business operations of your business. Here are some DO’S and DON’TS if you want to handle your staff attendance strategically:
3 DO’s
1. DO Stay Flexible
Lack of schedule flexibility is often listed as one of the primary causes of employee resignations. The availability of an employee may be impacted by their obligations to their family, their job, their education, their health, and other commitments.
If you offer your staff the coping mechanisms for life’s unavoidable circumstances, they will be able to report to work regularly.
Make use of ways like bid shifts, time off requests, and shift swaps to ensure that staff members have some flexibility in their work schedules while also ensuring that shifts are covered.
Additionally, don’t put pressure on your remote workers to adhere to a rigid 9–5 schedule if they complete their work promptly to a good extent. As an alternative, review your policies to see if they need to be updated and add greater flexibility.
Moreover, allow your staff members to handle quick fixes for personal issues. It’s acceptable to attend doctor appointments, school events, or childcare centers during working hours as long as everyone agrees and the work gets done.
You will be happy with the work that your employees do, and they will feel relieved to be able to combine work and personal life. Hence, a win-win.
2. DO Encourage Communication
Good communication is becoming more and more crucial as workplace flexibility gains power. When managing employee attendance, you should urge staff members to report absences to you, whatever the reason may be.
Gaining respect, loyalty, and trust from employees as well as increasing productivity depend on managers and workers communicating with one another. An employee who communicates their limitations is far more valuable than one who just shows up without trying.
Whereas, emotionally vulnerable employees might talk candidly about their personal lives with their managers. Supervisors will be aware of any issues that staff members are having and will make an effort to assist them if it could result in them being absent or late.
3. DO Use Attendance Tracking Tools
Implementing reliable attendance tracking systems is crucial for accurately monitoring and recording employee attendance. These tools provide precise data on when employees clock in and out, track their hours worked, and document any absences or tardiness.
Utilizing such systems reduces the potential for human error associated with manual tracking, ensures compliance with company attendance policies, and helps maintain accurate payroll records.
Furthermore, these tools often integrate with other HR systems, streamlining workforce management and enabling managers to easily identify patterns in absenteeism or punctuality. This real-time visibility into attendance enhances the ability to manage schedules effectively, address issues promptly, and make informed decisions regarding staffing and resource allocation.
Hence, implementing Smart Workforce for attendance tracking, businesses can improve operational efficiency, enhance accountability, and support fair and consistent application of attendance policies.
3 DON’Ts
1. DON’T Rush into Decisions
Never assume anything about the behavior of your team without first getting their perspective. Your employees may become confused and frustrated if you take action without fully comprehending the situation. They won’t know what is expected of them.
Even worse, you could become the target of unfair accusations, have a strained connection with your staff, and have a dysfunctional workplace. Therefore, research the subject of absence and take necessary action after you are certain that you comprehend the employee’s issue and have a workable solution.
Thus, your employees will gain confidence and trust from you this way because they will see that you are making well-informed decisions.
2. DON’T Overlook the Attendance Policies
The attendance policy for your company should specify exactly what the management expects. You can stop employees from coming up with reasons for missing work and save them from facing consequences by putting some regulations on paper.
For instance, when it comes to severe absenteeism, many organizations now adopt the three-strikes strategy. Therefore, you can and ought to take action if an employee still doesn’t show up for work despite numerous warnings.
On the other side, you should also notice personnel who execute their jobs properly, arrive on time and limit absence to a minimum.
For example, you may use monthly reports to monitor their performance and give them praise for their well-behaved conduct. Exceptional motivators include cash bonuses, employee of the month programs, and additional paid time off for outstanding attendance. In this manner, you’ll inspire other staff members to raise their attendance as well.
3. DON’T Forget to Give Staff the Time Off
Booking a worker on a day they were promised off work is one of the easiest ways to undermine employee loyalty and morale. To ensure that nothing falls between the cracks, make sure you have a solid system in place for recording time off requests.
Employers who provide paid time off benefits may observe a rise in worker productivity and attendance.
Additionally, workers will resolve their issues during their days off rather than calling in unexpectedly. This would greatly simplify the process of managing project deadlines, rescheduling them, and allocating tasks among teams.
Final Thoughts
Absenteeism can negatively impact a company’s operations in many ways, particularly in sectors where providing excellent customer service is essential. Nonetheless, you may lower absenteeism and create a more positive and productive work environment at your company by using a few easy strategies.
The above-mentioned checklist of do’s and don’ts should be kept in mind when managing employee attendance at work. It will support you in making wise choices and maintaining the efficiency of your company. It will get easier the more you practice.