Absenteeism Policy

What is absenteeism policy?

Absenteeism policy is a set of guidelines and procedures with the purpose of reducing the number of work days employees miss. Employee attendance policy and procedure may outline the acceptable reasons why an employee might miss work, such as illness, injury, or scheduled time off, as well as any disciplinary action that might be taken for excessive absenteeism or tardiness. Because missed days of work cut down on employee productivity, an excessive absenteeism policy is financially beneficial to any company.

What does absenteeism policy mean?

Absenteeism policy means anything regarding employee attendance policy and procedure or tardiness policy at work. Any workplace policy that outlines paid time off, vacation days, sick days, parental or other leave, etc., is considered absenteeism policy. In addition, absenteeism policy includes guidelines for procedures if an employee misses too many days of work beyond what is allowed. The best attendance policy will encourage employees to reduce the number of days they miss work while still being fair and accounting for the reality of sickness, vacations, doctor appointments, and more.

How to use PTO policy to reduce absenteeism

Offering employees a generous set amount of paid time off, or PTO, can reduce excessive absenteeism. Paid time off is a determined and agreed upon number of days per year that an employee can take off of work for a variety of reasons, from sickness to vacations, while still receiving their full wage or salary. For example, a company may offer ten days, or two work weeks, of PTO in addition to state and national holidays and qualifying parental leave. Even though employees miss work these days, they will be fully compensated. Many employees consider PTO policy to be an important benefit, especially while considering various job offers. As part of a PTO policy, make sure to provide a way to track how much time employees take off and why, along with how they can determine how many PTO days they have left.

While it may seem counterintuitive to pay employees to not show up, a generous PTO policy can reduce employee absences. When employees know they have a limited number of paid days to take off, they will be careful about how much work they miss and when. They will want to take advantage of the PTO for when they actually need it, such as for a planned family vacation, or in case they come down with the flu. Once they’ve used up or accounted for all their PTO days, employees likely will want to avoid missing work to protect their expected earnings. Absenteeism policy and procedure that includes PTO encourages employees to take charge of their attendance.

Absenteeism policy in the workplace

Attendance policy in offices is essential to boost productivity and minimise financial losses. An attendance policy is generally determined and enforced by human resources professionals. HR staff may train new employees from day one on what is expected in the workplace in terms of attendance and tardiness, as well as the correct procedures to follow when employees need to miss work or will be arriving late. This includes who to contact, how to clock in, and how to track missed days. HR professionals may conduct regular attendance trainings to keep employees up to date on absenteeism policy and procedure, as well as to motivate them to improve their attendance.

Best attendance policy

The best workplace attendance policy will take into account the unpredictableness of real life, while also motivating employees to attend work and arrive on time as often as possible. Office absenteeism policy will define what an absence is, including what counts for PTO and what doesn’t, and at what point an employee is considered tardy. Tardiness may include arriving late for work, along with taking a long lunch or an unreported break during working hours.

The best attendance policies outline how employees should report absences and to whom. They should also describe in detail the disciplinary actions that might be taken for excessive unexcused absenteeism. HR teams may also consider ways to celebrate or reward employees who have excellent attendance records.

Related: Absence Management, Absence Management Policy

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