by Jesse Card

Created on: February 25, 2010

Absenteeism is a very frustrating problem for any manager.  Employees who are habitually late or do not show up at all pose obvious difficulties to any company and must, quite definitely, be dealt with.  Addressing absenteeism should not only consist of punishing the employee, though: there are many considerations an effective manager must make because the situation often is not a simple case of employee neglect.  Some employees do have an inherent problem with regular schedules, but very likely the missed work is a symptom of a larger problem with the employee’s personal situation or with the organization for which they work.

Employee situations

The first step the manager must take in dealing with a habitually absent employee is to schedule a session to talk one-on-one with the employee.  This conversation ought to take place somewhere private, without distractions, and be scheduled in advance with the employee to ensure both the manager and the employee make specific time for the meeting.  A manager should have such counseling sessions regularly with their employees to judge their goals, get to know them, provide positive feedback, and address problems or conflict early-on. 

When having such a session while addressing absenteeism, the conversation should be light, non-accusing, and focused on the situation and well-being of the employee.  If the employee is a single mother, they may be having trouble getting to work because of the schedules of her children.  Perhaps the employee is dealing with a tragedy in their family, or taking care of sick parents.  Maybe other stressors have occurred which have created chronic sleepiness or other health issues.  There are many things which may be happening with the employee, and the manager needs to create a climate during the meeting where the employee will feel comfortable explaining the situation, knowing the manager is trying to work with them.

When there is something happening internal to the employee a manager has many options.  If they have a hectic schedule at home perhaps the manager and employee can work out a better work schedule; including split shifts, job sharing, or perhaps telecommuting (work-from-home).  If there has been a recent tragedy or the employee is ill, the employee may be given some leave, paid if possible, to address their problems and come back to work fresh when the issues are dealt with.  Making an effort to work with

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