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Managing Employee Attendence
2005-01-01
| According to Statistics Canada in a recent report ÏEmployees missed approximately 72 million workdays because of personal reasons ..." Also, The Royal Bank of Canada recently warned Ïthe impact of doing nothing about work and family issues hurts the bottom line." So what can employers do about Managing Employee Attendance? | | | | Confirm Absenteeism Problem Exists | The first step is to confirm whether an absenteeism problem exists by examining attendance records of each employee and department checking the number of absences, the reason for the absence, the date of the absence and the number of individual occurrences. It is extremely important to ensure that your records are accurate and that the employee was scheduled to work on the day of the absence. During this phase you should also examine the work environment. For example, does the organization have an attendance policy, are employees aware of it, is excellent attendance promoted and rewarded, etc. If this information is not available then it must be gathered before proceeding to the next step.
By comparing your internal data with that of like employers helps confirm how you compare within the industry or sector that you operate within.
| | | | Addressing The Problem | | If it is confirmed that an attendance problem exists then the employees must be apprised of the organizationÌs intent on addressing the problem. For example, a reintroduction of the Attendance Policy may be warranted followed up with individual meetings with employees to either recognize their excellent attendance or to discuss reason(s) for less than satisfactory attendance. The goal here is to work with employees on improving their attendance and emphasizing the importance their contributions make in helping the organization meet its objectives. It should also be made known to employees what could happen if their attendance record does not improve. In extreme cases this could include termination. | | | | Follow Up Action Plan | Follow up Action Plans should be prepared for those employees who have attendance problems. If an Action Plan is not developed and followed all efforts to this point will be wasted.
Action Plans should document the current situation, the Attendance Policy Objectives, the plan to address the problem(s) with target dates and lastly a scheduled follow up meeting to review progress.
Attendance Management Promotion
Like so many other management issues those that are promoted, communicated and followed up have the best chance of accomplishing what they are destined to accomplish. At time of hire ensure new employees are aware of attendance goals and confirm during reference checking previous attendance patterns.
Employers should attempt to determine why there are attendance problems, could it be the result of low job satisfaction, for example.
Wellness Programs, which help employeeÌs follow a healthy lifestyle and Employee Assistance Programs which help to address a range of issues from drug and alcohol abuse to financial and family issues contribute in a significant way to the meeting of the overall attendance objectives.
Also, flexible hours allow employees to better balance family and work demands and modified work plans attempt to get employees back on the job sooner.
Employers with Attendance Management programs typically see lower sick leave costs, more satisfied employees, improved productivity and morale, enhanced accountability for ones attendance and more team cohesiveness.
As the Royal Bank states the impact of doing nothing impacts the 'bottom line'. |
Contact:
 | Paul R. Hawn, President, Hawn & Associates Inc. | | Suite 507, 421 Bay Street, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 1X3 | | info@Hawn.ca | | http://www.Hawn.ca |
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