There are many ways to manage employee absences, including implementing policies and procedures and using an absence-tracking system. The first step is identifying why an employee might be absent. The second step is understanding your company’s policies and procedures. This policy should specify the types of leaves and how they are approved.
Abuse Management Policies and Procedures
Policies and procedures for managing employee absences are crucial to ensure a productive work environment and a positive company culture; frequent absences can disrupt the workplace and cause negative feelings among coworkers. Policies and procedures for managing employee absences should be fair and easy to understand. Encourage employees to communicate and comply with the rules and procedures.
Employee Assistance Programmes such as absence management services can help employees deal with issues that cause them to miss work. In addition, they offer counseling to deal with problems that cause them to miss work. These procedures must be fair and follow the law.
Policies and procedures for managing employee absences should include specific guidelines on who and how to notify an employee when they are absent. Absence management policies should also specify how missed work should be measured and documented. In addition, policies should state what action will be taken against an employee who breaches the policy.
Those with human resource experience report that running in-depth employee background checks on potential candidates tends to filter out the bad from the good.
Documentation of Absences
Documentation of employee absences is a vital part of absence management. It helps you keep track of absences, as well as how much time an employee is allowed to take off. You also need to document how disciplinary action will be taken against an employee. These documents can be a spreadsheet or unique tools used by management or HR. Once you have a transparent system, the next step is ensuring everyone is aware of and adheres to it.
Identifying patterns in employee absences and why they occur will help you document how to handle different scenarios. For example, if one employee’s absences coincide with the next, the management team should create policies and procedures to handle this correctly.
Developing and revising an absence management policy is a difficult task. A well-written approach should consider the needs of your employees and the nature of your industry. You should also consider your company’s culture, as it may have a distinct culture. The policy should also be incorporated into the onboarding process for new employees. It should also be open to suggestions, as feedback can improve it.
Keeping Track of Absences
Absence tracking systems are an excellent way to keep track of employee absences. In addition to allowing managers to track employee hours, these systems also allow employees to apply for time off. This can make managing employees’ schedules easier and complying with federal laws. For example, the federal government requires employers to keep employee attendance records for a few years under the national Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition, absence tracking systems allow employers to easily track employee hours and identify patterns of negative behavior or areas for improvement.
Keeping track of employee absences is necessary to create a solid company culture. It is also critical to ensure that your payroll process aligns with employee absences. You can miss important opportunities without an accurate and reliable system because your workforce is unavailable.
Implementing a Company Closure Policy
When implementing a company closure policy to manage employee absence, employers should ensure they are consistent with the rules. For example, a designated call-in person who can handle calls regarding absences should explain the company’s attendance policy. The policy should also detail what types of absences are covered and what constitutes an unreasonable reason for absences.
In addition to managing employee absences through policies, employers can also keep track of employee attendance rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average employee absence in the United States is over 3%, with the average employee experiencing eight days of unplanned absence. While these figures are high, most United States organizations aim to achieve lower employee absence rates. A company’s annual employee absence rate should be under 2% and even as low as 1.5%.
One way to manage employee absences is by implementing a paid day-off policy. Employees can earn paid time off for good attendance, so long as they arrive at the beginning of their shift and notify their manager if they are late or absent from work.