Ongoing absenteeism can cause significant issues in the workplace, from the loss of productivity to a decline in morale for the employees who have to pick up the slack. However, with intentional action, you can prevent attendance problems from becoming detrimental to your team and overall business success – here’s how you can improve employee attendance:
Establish an Official Policy
Get everyone on the same page as to what the company expectations are for attendance. Employees who you consider to be having absence problems may not even realize they are doing anything wrong. Establish an official policy for attendance, such as how soon in advance planned time off needs to be submitted, how to best communicate sudden, unplanned absences, consequences for failing to abide by any specific attendance rules, etc.
Provide Flexible Scheduling Options
Often employees have personal obligations that conflict with their working hours and may feel they have no other choice but to not come into work. However, if you can work with them, you may be able to come up with solutions that are mutually beneficial. Provide flexible scheduling options, such as allowing employees to come in a bit later or leave earlier on certain days, reduce their hours slightly, or work from home occasionally, as much as you are able to within reason.
Discuss the Issue Openly
Individual employees may not realize the impact their absence has on the overall workplace, and therefore may not think it’s a big deal if they don’t come to work. Discuss the issue openly – communicate the role every employee plays on the team, and the importance of attendance and its impact on everyone else. For ongoing absenteeism among specific employees, work one-on-one with them to let them know it is becoming a problem, if you can help at all to alleviate their need to miss work, and to clarify necessary changes moving forward.
Address the Core Reason
Problems with excessive absence rate among your employees can be symptoms of a deeper issue within your overall workplace culture. If you have tried improving employee attendance by communicating expectations and working with your employees and it still isn’t effective, it could be a sign of a lack of engagement or low morale. Address the core reason behind attendance problems by taking steps to improve your workplace culture, such as by recognizing employees’ contributions and expressing your appreciation for their hard work and ensuring they have adequate workloads and tools to perform their jobs effectively.
Land Top Talent
Find the most qualified employees to join your team with PrideStaff San Jose. As an experienced staffing and recruiting firm, we are dedicated to serving our clients and helping them achieve their staffing goals. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
