ComplyRightComplyRightComplyRightComplyRight
  • WEBINARS
    • Upcoming
    • On Demand
  • TOPICS
    • I want to learn about:
      • Hiring an Employee
      • Creating Policies
      • Paying Employees
      • Discrimination & Harassment
    • Column 2
      • Employment Law
      • Labor Law Postings
      • Employee Leave
      • Employee Recordkeeping
    • Category 3
      • Independent Contractors
      • Tax Reporting
      • Improving Employee Performance
      • Firing an Employee
    • Seven Reasons Why Employee Performance Reviews Still Matter in a Remote Work World

      Employee Performance Reviews
      Read More
  • SOLUTIONS
    • Employee Management
      • Hiring
      • Time and Attendance
      • Training and Safety
      • Recordkeeping
      • Employee Policies
    • Labor Law Posters
      • Poster Guard® Service
      • ComplyRight Posters
      • Electronic Posters
      • Employee Handouts
      • Partner Solutions
    • Tax Information Reporting
      • DIY Filing Solutions
      • Processing Services
      • Partner Solutions
    • NEW! Secure Document Print and Mail Services
    • Featured Solution

      Poster Guard Compliance Protection
      Learn More
  • ABOUT
    • Who is ComplyRight
      • Mission
      • Core Values
      • Leaders
      • Contact
    • Careers
      • Culture
      • Benefits and Perks
    • Brands
      • HRdirect
      • HRdirect Smart Apps
      • Poster Guard
      • eFile4Biz
    • Join Our Team

      Join Our Team
      Learn More
  • SUBSCRIBE

​How to Deal with Costly Employee Absenteeism in the Workplace

Published on May 9, 2018
  • Time and Pay
  • Attendance

Employee attendance tracking — always knowing who is absent, how often and why — can help you spot troubling patterns and address an employee time and attendance problem early. And should a dispute occur, whether it’s about wages, a disciplinary action or termination, the written (or electronic) records of employee absences will serve as critical evidence to justify your business decisions.

Setting Up Employee Attendance Policies

A well-developed attendance policy should set clear expectations for employees and get them on the same page with management. Here are some key steps to effectively implement and enforce an employee attendance policy.

Put everything in writing. Your employee attendance policy must be communicated to all employees so that it can be enforced. The policy, along with the tools you use to track employee attendance should be described in writing and included in the employee handbook.

Make sure they understand the tools. If employee time clock systems are to be used, instruction should be provided on the first day to make sure the employee knows how and where to check in and out. If attendance tracking cards or employee time sheets are used, make sure new employees know where to find them, and what information is required.

Apply to same employee attendance rules to everyone. It’s important to apply your policy consistently. Employers may be courting discrimination lawsuits if they only discipline some employees for poor attendance.

Spell out the consequences. A formal, written employee attendance policy lets employees know when chronic lateness and absenteeism are cause for discipline, and should clearly state how many absences or instances of lateness are acceptable.

Make sure you understand the law. Your employee attendance policy must comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage requirements, overtime, timekeeping practices, child labor laws, and other pay-related issues. Companies — as well as individual managers — can be held liable for FLSA violations.

Employee attendance tracking — always knowing who is absent, how often and why — can help you spot troubling patterns and address an employee time and attendance problem early.

How to Identify Excessive Employee Absences

Using the right tool can make a big difference in how you track time and attendance. Electronic attendance tracking provides the same features as paper calendars or spreadsheets, but with modern advantages that improve ease-of-use and effectiveness.

The web-based Attendance Calendar app from HRdirect helps you maintain accurate records and quickly identify troubling attendance patterns – all in one convenient, online view. It uses a simple system of codes, just like a paper calendar, to indicate the reasons for excused and unexcused absences.

By logging missed days and other absences, employers can easily spot when a worker’s absences are becoming excessive. Days with absences are shaded, allowing for quick detection of problematic attendance patterns (e.g., employees frequently calling in sick after holidays). The app also provides a convenient, one-page view of attendance records for the entire year.

With this attendance-related documentation at your fingertips, you can stay a step ahead of unscheduled absenteeism and employee tardiness, as well as monitor legally protected time off. The app also makes it easy to compare the attendance of team members, document warnings, and download and print back-up or blank copies.

If all indications show a problem with employee absenteeism for reasons that are not legally protected or otherwise excused, the next step is to address the situation through counseling or formal discipline.

Addressing Difficult Employee Attendance Problems

For an employee time and attendance problem that recurs despite verbal counseling, consider preparing a formal disciplinary write-up that will go into the employee’s personnel file. Depending on your company’s employee attendance policy, you may issue a series of written employee warning notices as the problem escalates, or you may decide termination is appropriate after a single written warning if the employee shows no effort toward improvement.

There is no particular warning form or format that employers must use to document disciplinary problems. Regardless of the form used, a formal write-up addressing attendance issues should include:

  • The facts, including the time and attendance program or method you used to track the violations
  • The specific written rule or policy violated
  • Objectives and expectations for improvement
  • Disciplinary action being imposed
  • Consequences for failing to correct time and attendance problem
  • Signatures and dates

Managing workplace attendance is an important part of your company’s operations. With a consistent companywide policy and the right attendance-tracking tool, you’ll be better equipped to address employee absenteeism.

SA Attendance Calendar | Time & Pay

HRdirect SmartApps Attendance Tracking

Related Content

  • federal minimum wage in 2021play-button
    Rising Minimum Wage Rates and How They May Impact Your Business
    June 2021

    Will we see legislation for a $15 federal minimum wage in 2021? It’s unclear. But an increase is looking more … Read more

    Time and Pay

  • FLSA Violations
    5 Mistakes Small Businesses Make That Could Lead to FLSA Violations
    October 22, 2020

    Time and pay rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are complicated — particularly for small businesses without the … Read more

    Time and Pay

    FLSA

    Worker Classification

  • Flexible scheduling
    How to Implement Flexible Scheduling That’s a Win-Win for You and Your Employees
    May 26, 2020

    What used to be the rare exception for a handful of employees has become more mainstream. Today, flexible scheduling is … Read more

    Time and Pay

    Attendance

  • FLSA hours worked
    Counting FLSA Hours Worked: How to Get it Right to Satisfy Upcoming Overtime Rules and Calculation
    January 8, 2020

    Wage and hour violations are a frequent source of trouble for employers, where Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) oversights can … Read more

    Time and Pay

    FLSA

    Overtime

  • Ready, Set, Go: Critical Actions Every Employer Should Take with the New FLSA Overtime Ruleplay-button
    Ready, Set, Go: Critical Actions Every Employer Should Take with the New FLSA Overtime Rule
    October 2019

    After months of anticipation, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the final rule on the overtime provisions under the Fair … Read more

    Time and Pay

    FLSA

    Overtime

  • Here We Go Again: DOL Announces Potential New FLSA Overtime Regulations
    Update on DOL Overtime Regulations: New FLSA Overtime Rule Just Finalized and Effective January 2020
    September 25, 2019

    The wait and uncertainty regarding potential new overtime regulations are over. On September 24, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) … Read more

    Time and Pay

    FLSA

    Overtime

  • Attendance Calendar Smart Appplay-button
    How to Stop Excessive Absenteeism from Undermining Your Business
    June 2019

    In a perfect workplace, employee absences would always be scheduled well in advance. But you know the drill … Carl … Read more

    Time and Pay

    Attendance

  • The Art of Avoiding Work: Do You Have a George Costanza Working for You?
    The Art of Avoiding Work: Do You Have a George Costanza Working for You?
    June 4, 2019

    Your star employees keep you smiling every day, while poor performers have you pulling your hair. And it’s usually easy … Read more

    Time and Pay

    Attendance

Upcoming Webinar

Webinar Name

Date & Time

Presented by:

Learn More
Shop Our Brands 
HRdirect
HRdirect Smart Apps
Poster Guard
Formstax eFile4Biz

At ComplyRight, our mission is to free employers from the burden of tracking and complying with the complex web of federal, state and local employment laws, so they can stay focused on managing and growing their businesses.

©2021 ComplyRight, Inc.

Webinars

  • Upcoming
  • On Demand

Solutions

  • Employee Management
  • Labor Law Posters
  • Tax Information Reporting

About

  • Who is ComplyRight
  • Careers
  • Brands

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Popular Topics

Performance Policies Discrimination and Harassment Employment Law HiringLabor Law PostingsIndependent Contractors

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe

Follow Us

  • RESOURCES
    • Knowledge Center
      • Tip Sheets
      • E-Guides
      • Podcasts
      • Infographics
      • Videos
    • Webinars
      • Upcoming
      • On Demand Webinars
    • Research and Trends
      • Compliance Survey
      • Trend Surveys
      • Minimum Wage Monitor
    • HR 101 Courses
  • TOPICS
    • Hiring an Employee
    • Creating Policies
    • Paying Employees
    • Discrimination & Harassment
    • Employment Law
    • Labor Law Postings
    • Employee Leave
    • Employee Recordkeeping
    • Independent Contractors
    • Tax Reporting
    • Improving Employee Performance
    • Firing an Employee
  • SOLUTIONS
    • Employee Management
      • Hiring
      • Time and Attendance
      • Training and Safety
      • Recordkeeping
      • Employee Policies
    • Labor Law Posters
      • ComplyRight Posters
      • Poster Guard®
      • Partner Solutions
    • Tax Information Reporting
      • DIY Filling Solutions
      • Processing Services
      • Partner Solutions
  • ABOUT
    • Who is ComplyRight
    • Newsroom
    • Careers
    • Brands
    • Contact Us
  • SUBSCRIBE
ComplyRight