Monday/Friday Absences

Janice · August 2006

Although I've been in HR for quite some time, I've not ever posted to this site.

We have two employees that are habitual Monday or Friday missing persons (female, married, and childless). Our company attorney says that if they have the accumulated time, that we have to allow them to use it. Can anyone offer any sample policies that would help me address this issue? I want to modify our policy to give it a little more "bite" but I don't want to remove any "limbs" in the process!! I look forward to hearing from everyone!

HRinNH · August 2006

Do they schedule their time off in advance or is it that they just don't show up?

Janice · August 2006

They always call in (per policy) within 15 minutes of the start of their shift. Unfortunately, we only have four people in our accounting department and both employees are in that department. It has almost become a joke with other employees of "which one will be out today?" I feel that we need to nip it but need some ideas.

Irie · August 2006

I agree with your attorney. Let them burn up their PTO and then if their absences continue, apply your attendance policy just as you would apply it to anyone else. If they continue to be absent on Mondays/Fridays then it won't take them long to work (pun intended) themselves right out of a job.

Janice · August 2006

I guess the thing that bothers me most is the problem it's creating with morale. Everyone sees the taking advantage of the policies without any repercussions. In the meantime, everyone else has to pick up the slack to keep the work going.

SMace · August 2006

I can't give you a policy, but I can give you some advice. Get their supervisor and write down all the Friday, Monday absences for both of them. Then write down the Friday, Monday absences of the two others. If it still looks like a problem sit down (the supervisor should do this) with each one individually. Lay the absences on the table and start off with, "It looks like we've got a problem and I need your help. Take a look at this and see if you think it is a problem."

These people know what they are doing and they are just waiting to see if anyone will say anything. We can go through a multitude of excuses, but you have to keep going back to the problem. If they say it's just a coincidence, then you can reply that it should stop any time now.

Give them a little more rope and I bet you it will get better. You do not need a policy to do this and I wouldn't want one. What would you do, restrict someone to only one missed Friday a month? If you do that they will just miss one Friday a month. In the long run that's not helping morale. Kicking these people in the ass will help morale.

Toto · August 2006

Welcome, Janice. I do not like to tell you to avoid your attorney’s advice because he/she should have more information then you have provided us in your post. That said, I will make some assumptions from the frustration you did post and support SMace’s comments in how I might act. We also do not have a policy for this situation (difficult to write & monitor) but also think it can be addressed instead of waiting for ees to us up their time. You are right this undermines morale and respect for the supervisor so the overall cost can be high. First verify there is a pattern. I’ve had situations where the documentation didn’t support the perception. Like SMace, I would have the supervisor (after coaching him what not to say!) bring this to each ee’s attention in a similar manner and let the ee’s try to explain. Make sure the supervisor documents the session afterwards just in case there needs to be furture disciplinary action.
Let us know what you decided to do and how it worked out. We in the forum also learn by finding out when our advice didn’t work. x;-)

dlail · August 2006

I agree with these posts. The "pattern of absences" has emerged that can be addressed as a performance issue, pointing out the impact on productivity, moral, etc. You can document the pattern and the coaching session, and give them amnesty and let them know from this point forward these illnesses will need to be substantiated by a dr visit.

VS · August 2006

Maybe instead of looking at a policy for Friday/Monday absences, you look at your number of sick days allowed policy. Just how many days do they get that this pattern ended up becoming an issue.

With that said, I agree with the last two posters. You need to sit them down and let them know you are onto their antics and that alone may cause them to clean up their act (or develop a new pattern). Any other policy will just punish your good performers.

Good luck and feeback are your outcome would be great for the forum!

VS

NeedCoffee · August 2006

I agree with the prior posts that you need to sit them down.

Do you have anything in your policies about informal "counseling" sessions? Perhaps a verbal warning? We have a clause in our absence policy for "habitual offenders" who are frequently absent but still follow policy when calling in. I recently sat one of them down, showed her the absence reports for the last 6 months and told her I need to see marked improvement in her attendance over the next six weeks, otherwise we may need to persue disciplinary measures.

She hasn't been absent since, and if she is absent, she brings a doctor's note.

Perhaps something like that would work in your situation?

Good luck!

Janice · August 2006

She called in again today (surprise, surprise). We are going to sit down with her and discuss the situation. I realize that each of us wake up achy from time to time, but it's getting a bit much!

Thanks for all of the advice! It helps to be able to bounce ideas off others who are facing similar situations!

WO · August 2006

I agree with SMACE and other posters in addressing the problem. I too would document the absence history pointing out the coincidence of Monday/Friday. I would suggest that these patternistic absences appear to be eligible for FMLA and ask if something is occurring medically that we should discuss. From there give them a certificate of health care provider and ask for documentation.

Good luck!

POTATO · August 2006

Hi Janice, I agree with the others posters and have included a paragraph from our policies regarding these type of absences. While this policy was created for "general laborers" and not office personnel, I agree that these "flu-Friday and blue-Monday" absences are very much demoralizing to the other employees who have to pick up the slack!! Good Luck

"Absences on Friday and Monday are discouraged and should be for emergencies only. AVOID scheduling any appointments on these days. Generally Friday’s are the largest volume day and having ALL employees at work on all days is imperative. All absences on Friday and Monday (with the exception of an emergency) require 24 hour ADVANCE notice and must be approved by the Warehouse Manager. Any employee who has more than 3 absences on Friday or Monday, will be subject to discipline including termination."

VS · August 2006

I find your policy quite interesting. Would you clarify the three absences. . . is that three in a year???

Thanks,
VS

POTATO · August 2006

We are a potato warehouse and 99% of our employees are seasonal/full-time. Our work schedules are done by "season" not by year, usually September - July (just depends on those darn potatoes). We shut-down every Julyish and furlough everyone then we have to "rehire" each Septemberish. So to answer your question, this policy is 3 absences per season BUT I believe it could be worded as to make it any length of time: yearly/quarterly/monthly...whew that was sure a round-about answer!!!

HRCalico · August 2006

You have gotten some great advice above! I just wanted to pop in and say that attendance policies are - to me - about the toughest policies to write. Just figuring out what we will tolerate feels impossible. We have been working on re-writing ours for about eighteen months (no joke) so I feel your pain. One thing that we are looking at including was mentioned above - that a pattern of absences will be addressed. I would avoid mentioning Fri/Mon specifically, because you could have someone that calls in every Wednesday after Tuesday singles night at the local watering hole. Whatever.

Good luck - and please give us an update as to how it works out!

Monday/Friday Absences

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