Absenteeism Abuse

Employees in the workplace are not immune to sickness or other unfortunate events that may keep them from attending work . However, HR Professionals may encounter employees who take advantage of the system, thus causing strain on workplace resources. An article in the HR Voice outlines several steps in managing absenteeism. 1) Communicate Attendance Expectations, 2) Ask the Right Questions, 3) Don’t Ignore The Problem, 4) Accommodate any Disability, 5) Meet with the Employee, 6) Carefully Consider Whether Termination is Appropriate. This article provides an interesting strategy to combating absentee abuse.

Key points to remember:
When presented with an concern of an employee's absense:
- Act don't react (ie. while termination for violating a company policy is a valid option, it is harsh and may result in an unjust dismissal claim. On the other hand, ignoring shows lack of concerns for the manager)
- Investigate (ie. Review the employees file to determine whether complaints are valid)
- Meet with employee upon their return (ie. try to determine root causes for absenses)