Every one of us engages in the occasional tardiness.
Whether that’s because we sleep through an alarm clock or get stuck in traffic, showing up late at work at least once a month is normal and happens to the best of us.
But when an employee misses work every week and is constantly gone, these intermittent absences can snowball into an issue that can significantly impact your company’s productivity and revenue.
Having an employee attendance policy in place can greatly minimize no-shows and save you time, money, and resources in the long run.
To get it right, let’s take a deep dive into what an attendance policy is and how it provides employees with a better work-life balance.
What Is an Attendance Policy?
Definition
An attendance policy is a document of guidelines employees should follow when they start and finish their workday.
In a nutshell, it states that employees must have regular attendance and that any violation, such as tardiness, absence, or an early departure, has consequences.
So, its purpose is to:
- Create procedures for reporting unexcused absences
- Encourage employee engagement
- Minimize job abandonment
But a good company attendance policy has another feature. It informs employees through clear examples of acceptable (paid time off or sick leave) and unacceptable absences.
Moreover, it can outline disciplinary procedures, which we’ll discuss later.
Usually, the human resources department takes care of the attendance policy and ensures the employee is aware of and accepts the rules, which they often sign during the onboarding process.
Still, do you really need an employee attendance policy, or can you scrape by?
Follow us further into the article to discover the benefits of this HR practice.
Key Benefits of an Attendance Policy
Having a good attendance policy has several advantages.
First of all, an attendance policy saves companies money. Over 70% of business leaders agree that employee absences moderately impact revenue and productivity.
Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), absenteeism causes productivity losses in excess of $225.8 billion annually for US employers.
So, although you can overlook unscheduled absences from time to time, the costs of absenteeism can add up quickly and harm your business.
Secondly, you can also experience other benefits, such as:
- Improved productivity and efficiency: Unannounced emergencies are things out of your control and you can let your employees know it’s okay to have a life outside of work. With an attendance policy, your staff will feel less stressed about emergencies, which improves wellness and health. More productive workers mean higher retention rates and a happier workforce, which makes them more eager to fix their attendance issues.
- Enhanced workplace culture and employee morale: A person who’s always late but never gets in trouble is the subject of gossip among coworkers. Such a company culture makes some employees want to leave. An attendance policy ensures you treat everyone fairly and it increases teamwork and communication.
- Reduced costs associated with employee turnover: A transparent attendance policy allows employees to tackle unexpected emergencies and balance work and daily life, improving employee retention.
That’s it for the benefits!
Now, if you want employees with a good attendance record, read the following section for tips and tricks.
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How to Create a Strong Employee Attendance Policy
Before creating the attendance policy, you must ensure everyone has easy access to it, so putting it in your employee handbook is a great idea.
So is including it in your onboarding materials.
After you establish the method of sharing the rules, implement these strategies to create an attendance policy everyone will love to follow.
Step #1: Consider your work culture
Poor attendance might stem from your company’s workplace culture and scheduling style.
For example, you close an eye when one shift arrives late every day or leaves early. However, you punish another group for doing the same and expect them to be there on the dot with no excuses.
Such a practice sends mixed messages to your employees and might cause them to:
- Get lax about punctuality
- Forget to clock in until after their scheduled shift
- Take a lack of attendance policy for granted
There are some exceptions, such as excused absences.
For instance, employees might need medical leave to attend to an ill family member or go to an important doctor’s appointment.
In this situation, a zero-tolerance policy might discourage them from pursuing a career at your company.
So, an attendance policy should have realistic expectations for your workers, and you should talk to your managers about shifting your perspective and how you interact with your employees.
Author’s Tip: Reward employees who have an excellent attendance rate with these awesome gifts.
Step #2: Clarify basic terminology
Your attendance policy should clearly define your expectations and what each term might mean.
For instance, you can write the definitions of terms such as:
- Authorized absences — employees notify their supervisor about their absence in advance and the absence is agreed upon.
- Tardiness — an employee fails to call in as the shift starts or is late when returning from a break.
- Early departure — the worker leaves before the shift ends.
- No-call — an employee fails to notify their manager about their absence.
- Job abandonment — an employee misses work for several consecutive days without notice, and you usually can’t reach them during the workday.
Try to set a realistic time frame for each scenario, such as stating how many weeks in advance an employee should request time off.
For example, you could allow employees several sick days before you ask for a doctor’s note.
Author’s Tip: To avoid complicating the document, stick to the most common scenarios for employee absence.
Step #3: Establish realistic disciplinary actions
When employees are late or absent, it’s up to your HR managers to deal with shift replacements.
As a result, it might decrease your staff’s morale, especially if they often have to cover an absent coworker’s shift.
It might be time to think about the consequences of repeated offenses.
A transparent disciplinary process ensures that each employee gets the same treatment and helps your company avoid legal trouble.
For instance, some companies use written warnings to discipline their employees. In this case, employees receive two or more notices before being disciplined for their attendance issues.
Others might use the point system, where employees get penalized for breaking the rules.
Here’s an example of how to use it:
- Employees receive a half-point for being late for their shift or leaving work early
- A no-show employee receives two points
- When an employee is absent for five days in a row without prior notice and is unresponsive, they can receive 10 points, which might lead to job termination
Step #4: Keep your attendance policy simple
An attendance policy is a concept everyone can understand: people must be present at work on time, and not showing up might harm the company’s productivity.
Still, using plain and straightforward language when outlining these expectations ensures everything is clear and easy to follow and everyone’s on the same page.
In addition, being as objective as possible benefits all parties involved.
As a result, managers will know the difference between a no-show and an early departure while workers understand where their behavior falls under the attendance policy.
Step #5: Create a time-off request process
To ensure your employees respect your policies, you can have a procedure where employees can request time off or medical leave.
There are many methods to manage these requests, such as:
- HR tech, like using scheduling apps
- Printed templates
- Requests via emails
Using one of these strategies makes your work environment more organized since you can quickly approve or deny a request and notify the employees immediately.
Author’s Tip: Ensure your employees know the steps, from what forms they need to whom they submit them to.
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Now Over to You
A good attendance policy ensures fair treatment and solves tardiness and absenteeism issues.
As a result, you create a healthier organizational culture that increases employee satisfaction and decreases turnover.
Remember to talk to your coworkers before drafting the policy and determine the best course of action, from expectations to dealing with attendance issues.
Strengthen other HR functions by checking out our comprehensive HR glossary!