Addressing an Employee with Attendance Issues
Having a conversation with an employee about attendance or absenteeism is a challenging conversation for most managers.
Research shows that 20% of workers are late to work at least once per week and nearly 1 in 10 workers are off work for an unscheduled absence at any given time. On a good day, it’s not easy to make sure you’re staffed properly.
So what do you do as a manager?
If you notice an employee is struggling with his/her attendance, follow these 5 steps to get them back on track:
Gather data. When were they late or absent? How much notice did they provide? Has a pattern of absenteeism developed?
Hold a meeting with the employee. Make sure you hold this meeting in a private location, being mindful that this conversation may be sensitive or confidential.
Listen to what the employee is telling you. Is this a short-term issue, such as child care scheduling or car problems or possibly a series of medical appointments or is the employee defensive and making excuses.
Explain the impact on the department or company. Absenteeism causes a decrease in productivity, loss of revenue, increase in customer complaints, decrease in morale, increase in overtime costs, and can cause employee fatigue for coworkers who are having to work harder due to the unscheduled absences.
Set expectations. Be clear when setting expectations. Will continued absenteeism result in discipline. Is immediate improvement expected or the individual will be let go? If an accommodation is being provided, has it been outlined clearly in writing and properly provided?
Absenteeism is challenging for managers because you often hope it will get better on its own. But it requires your direct attention and also requires regular check-ins to ensure improvement has been made.
And of course, don’t forget to document all actions or conversations.
