1 / 34

Managing Attendance and Tardiness: Effective Strategies and Guidelines

This article provides supervisors with guidelines and strategies for managing attendance and tardiness issues among employees. Topics covered include handling tardiness, addressing AWOL and leave problems, and enforcing break and meal time policies.

hkane
Download Presentation

Managing Attendance and Tardiness: Effective Strategies and Guidelines

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. TARDY MANAGING LEAVE PROBLEMS AWOL SL ABUSE

  2. Attendance • Supervisors Responsibilities: • Assuring that sufficient numbers of personnel are scheduled to be present to carry out the mission in an efficient and timely manner • Minimizing the use of compensatory time off as much as possible • Verifying employees report for duty as scheduled

  3. Attendance • Your Employees’ Responsibilities • Arriving at work timely so that they are in their work areas, ready for work, by the beginning of their tour of duty • Remaining on duty in their work areas during the full period of their scheduled tour of duty unless on approved leave or authorized absence or have permission from their supervisors to leave their work areas

  4. Tardiness • Tardiness is one of the most common attendance problem supervisors face • It is the employee’s responsibility to get to work on time • Supervisors have the right to insist that employees report for work on time • Supervisors may take corrective action if an employee fails to report for work on time

  5. Tardiness • Tardiness and brief absences (less than 1 hour) may be excused by leave approving officials. • Tardiness is a form of misconduct, and may be considered an unexcused absence. • Calling in and telling a supervisor that an employee is in traffic and late is NOT approval for the absence.

  6. Tardiness • Rule of thumb • Less than 15 minutes will be disregarded for pay purposes but remarks should indicate “Unexcused Tardiness” • The minimum charge of AWOL is ½ hour. It may be charged as 30 minutes of AWOL or Annual Leave

  7. Tardiness vs. AWOL Tardiness : Arriving late for work. Cannot charge AWOL for tardiness of less than 30 minutes. AWOL: Unapproved absence from duty. Unexcused tardiness over 30 minutes is charged to AWOL.

  8. Sample Charges #1 On February 25, 1999, you were scheduled to work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You failed to report to duty or call to request leave. Therefore, you are charged with:

  9. 1. Eight hours absence without leave (AWOL).2. Failure to follow proper leave procedures. Answer

  10. Sample Charges #2 On February 25, 1999 you were scheduled to work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You failed to arrive until 8:00 a.m. Your excuse for the absence was unacceptable. Therefore, you are charged with:

  11. Answer Thirty minutes of absence without official leave (AWOL).

  12. Sample Charges #3 On February 25, 1999, you were scheduled to work from 7:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. You failed to arrive for duty until 7:35 a.m. Your excuse for being late was notacceptable. Therefore, you are charged with:

  13. Answer: Tardiness.

  14. Breaks • Meal Breaks - 30 minutes of nonduty time, which extends the established tour of duty • Not considered an official duty period for which compensation is payable • May not be granted immediately after the beginning, or immediately prior to the end of, the tour of duty • Rest Periods - Two 15-minute periods during 8 hour shift • May not be granted in conjunction with the beginning or ending of a tour of duty or in conjunction with lunch

  15. KEY POINTS • Supervisors must use judgment in determining whether tardiness is occasional and excusable, or part of a pattern that requires correction • Supervisors must be fair & consistent • Routine counseling is effective in correcting most attendance problems

  16. KEY POINTS • Disciplinary action may be necessary to correct chronic attendance problems • Continued unexcused absences from work should be charged to AWOL, not annual leave, if you wish to reflect that the absence was not approved

  17. GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDANCE COUNSELING MEETINGS • Clearly tell the employee what the problem is; i.e., coming to work late, leaving early, lengthy lunches, too many breaks or not adhering to the scheduled break times • Explain the applicable rules • Ask if there is a general reason for the attendance problem • If the reason relates to a personal problem refer the employee to the Employee Assistance Program

  18. MORE GUIDELINES • Clearly state that attendance is a serious matter, & that further infractions will lead to disciplinary action • Make sure the employee knows that this is their problem and they are responsible for correcting it • Tell the employee that you will be following up the meeting with a written record of the conversation (ERB entry, Supervisor’s Employee Brief) • Give the employee a copy of the written record and have the employee sign & date your copy

  19. Use of Annual Leave • Must be scheduled and approved in advance except for emergencies Managers schedule & control its use There is no automatic right to use annual leave at a time of the employee’s choosing annual leave should be approved/disapproved based on the workload not what the employee wants to use the leave for All employees should be treated equitably. Procedures for requesting and scheduling should be the same for all

  20. Use of Annual Leave • Supervisors are responsible for assuring that employees schedule sufficient amounts of leave to avoid “use or lose” problems

  21. Use of Sick Leave • For medical, dental, or optical exam or treatment • If incapacitated for the performance of duties by sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement • If required to give care & attendance to an immediate family member who is afflicted with a contagious disease

  22. Use of Sick Leave • If it would jeopardize the health of others by being present on duty after exposure to a contagious disease • Does not need to be scheduled and approved ahead of time if beyond employees control. (sudden illness,etc.)

  23. Documentation Issues • An employee requesting leave for periods of illness of more than 3 consecutive workdays is required to furnish evidence of the need for sick leave upon return to duty. • Determine what is acceptable to you or your service and ensure it is consistently applied.

  24. Signs of Sick Leave Abuse • Regular patterns of use • Chronically low sick leave balance • Frequent absences on Mondays, Fridays or before or after the end of the regular work week • Absences on the day before or after holidays

  25. Signs of Sick Leave Abuse • Absences the day after payday • Absences the same weekday repeatedly • Absences during hunting or fishing seasons • Absences during periods of high overtime or undesirable work assignments

  26. Questions to Ask Yourself • Sick Leave balance in relation to leave earned. • How many occasions has he/she been absent over the period of time abuse has been suspected? • How many of these occasions have been in excess of 3 days? • Is there a pattern of use? • Is there a known medical condition that would explain the absences? Remember, these are indicators of possible abuse, not proof! Talk to the employee – find out the facts.

  27. How to Manage Potential SL Abuse • Quarterly review of total leave used and leave used in conjunction with days off to determine if there is any pattern • Counsel the employee of your suspicion that sick leave has been abused and warn him/her that the consequences of continued abuse include sick leave certification

  28. Managing Potential SL Abuse • Stress the importance of building & maintaining a reserve of sick leave for use in the event of serious injury or long-term illness for the employee or family member • Stress the consequences of sick leave abuse, including being placed on sick leave restriction and possible discipline if the procedures are not followed

  29. Managing Potential SL Abuse • Monitor sick leave usage to see if counseling efforts were successful. If counseling is successful, both parties have a Win-Win situation • If counseling is unsuccessful, employee should be placed on sick leave restriction for up to six months which includes a referral to EAP • Review SL restriction prior to six months & extend if pattern continued or rescind

  30. Sick Leave Restriction • Employee must present satisfactory medical evidence for each instance of sick leave use. • Notify employee in writing of the requirement. (HR has a sample letter) • Define in the letter what is acceptable medical evidence (Note from doctor to include date of visit, dates of incapacitation, signature)

  31. Sick Leave Abuse • AL/LWOP discretionary • Violations charged as AWOL & disciplinary action • The requirement will be reviewed no later than 6 months

  32. Sick Leave Abuse • Adhere to all ACT Contract requirements • Such restrictions do require that the employee’s use of family friendly leave is also subject to medical certification if the employee is using sick leave.

  33. USING COMMON SENSE • Do not avoid recognizing a problem • Expect denials and non-cooperation • Do not expect miracles • Use discipline as a tool to help the employee, not as an automatic penalty • Make an honest effort to help, but don’t let a problem employee impact morale in your section

  34. Questions

More Related