An effective attendance policy communicates the importance of regular attendance and adherence to absence request procedures. Depending on the workforce size and composition, employers create one company-wide attendance policy or several department-based versions.
Each version can have standard provisions and optional subsections, such as the following:
Absence
Explain how your company defines authorized and unplanned absence. Provide a list of
procedures the employee has to complete to get their leave approved and compensated.
| Examples of authorized absence | Examples of unplanned absence |
|---|---|
Paid time off (PTO) per year | Paid sick leave (due to health issues or workplace injury) |
Work-from-home day | Bereavement leave |
Maternity and paternity leave | Family emergency |
Time off in lieu (TOIL) | Paid mental health day off |
Public holidays | Leave due to a natural disaster or extreme weather conditions |
Tardiness and Early Departure
State when all employees (or specific divisions) have to be present at the workplace. Define what your company considers as “tardiness.” For example, arriving 20 minutes after the scheduled shift start time. Most organizations provide a five- to 15-minute grace period (as life gets in the way).
Indicate the planned shift end time for specific employee groups if your workplace doesn’t allow flexible hours. For example, leaving more than 30 minutes early before the shift ends.
Also, this section has to explain the procedures for notifying superiors in cases of late arrivals. Indicate the right contact person (title and contact details) and mandatory notification period.
Job Abandonment
Job abandonment occurs when an employee stops coming to work without prior notification and fails to respond to attempts to contact them. Employment laws do not regulate job abandonment, but it’s considered severe workplace misconduct.
Your attendance policy should state what constitutes job abandonment. For example, consecutive absences for three days. Then explain the follow-up action: disciplinary
proceedings or immediate termination without severance pay.
Make it clear how employees must provide notice before terminating their employment. It’s a good idea to have different policy clauses for full-time, part-time and contract-based employees.
Disciplinary Action
To prevent poor attendance, employers enforce attendance policies via direct supervision and disciplinary action.
Common types of disciplinary action for unexcused absence include:
- Verbal or written warnings
- Automatic deduction of PTO
- Disciplinary meetings with HR
- Performance improvement plan (PIP)
- Temporary suspension or demotion
- Termination without severance pay
The above actions are applied progressively, based on the employee’s attendance record and on-the-job performance.
Optional Elements
Attendance Point System
To motivate higher employee attendance, you can create a scoring system for tracking
employee attendance infractions. An automated attendance point system can minimize unfair employee reporting and recognize and reward good attendance.
Manyemployee scheduling systems now include modules for time tracking, which can help you rapidly identify early-outs, excessive sick leaves and recurring lateness. Then, investigate the issue on a case-by-case basis.
Flexible Attendance Policy
Hybrid workplaces have become the norm—and flexible working hours actually boost employee productivity. Flexibility in attendance also lets your people maintain a better work-life balance, and meet personal and family obligations. That leads to higher employee well-being and, ultimately—lower talent attrition.
Consider if you can accommodate flexible work arrangements (e.g., various starting hours, morework-from-home days, etc.) for at least some departments.
