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Getting a handle on summer absenteeism

With summer in full swing, employers may find more than a few empty desks around the office. That’s not too much of a burden when employees plan in advance and schedule time for their vacations, but sometimes the beach beckons on short notice and employees may extend a weekend with a sick day or two. Or maybe they just don’t show up with no excuse. The question for HR professionals becomes how to protect productivity without putting a damper on morale. They have a few options to consider.

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Policy solution
When absenteeism is a problem, “the best defense is to have a good offense,” according to Evelyn L. Gentry, an attorney with Faegre Baker Daniels in Indianapolis. “It’s always a best practice to have a clear, written attendance policy in place that applies year round.”

A solid policy includes several elements. For one thing, it needs to explain what constitutes an attendance infraction, Gentry says. For example, a policy may spell out that a late arrival means arriving at a work area more than seven minutes after the scheduled start of a shift or an absence means missing more than four hours of a scheduled shift without prior approval.

An attendance policy also should state the discipline that will result from an infraction, Gentry says. Some policies use progressive discipline so that a written warning is issued when an employee accrues a certain number of infractions. Then the employer can progressively discipline the employee for subsequent infractions all the way up to termination.

Consistent enforcement is another key element of an attendance policy. “Even the best written policy will do no good in terms of setting expectations and protecting an employer from liability if a lawsuit should arise if it is inconsistently enforced,” Gentry says.

A policy also can give supervisors recourse when they suspect someone is calling in sick just to get a few extra days off. It’s acceptable to require a doctor’s note for certain illness-related absences as long as care is taken in the case of protected leave such as intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, Gentry says. Also, an employer shouldn’t require some employees to provide notes and not require them from others because that “opens up the door for disparate treatment claims,” she says.

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PTO a possibility
Taking a look at your employer’s time-off policy is another way to combat absenteeism. Employers that keep vacation time and sick time separate may find more abuse of sick leave during summer and switching to a paid time off (PTO) system may help.

“It is inevitable that most employees will prefer to be outside playing in the summer when the sun shines rather than behind their desks at work,” says Darryl Lee, a shareholder at the Kirton McConkie law firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. “And employers should encourage these rejuvenating breaks. But the work still needs to get done. So how can employers find an acceptable balance? My advice in almost all cases is to bundle vacation, personal days, and sick leave into a single category of paid time off.”

Some issues to consider when making the switch include:

  • Defining how PTO hours are earned.
  • Deciding how they can be used.
  • Determining whether they can be carried over from year to year.
  • Setting a policy on what kind of notice employees need to give before taking time off.

When those issues are decided, Lee says to “follow your policy and don’t worry why the employee is taking PTO.” He adds that it’s important to train employees and supervisors on the policy and be consistent in following it.

Consider summer benefits
Some employers offer seasonal benefits that may keep employees from playing hooky during summer. Staffing company OfficeTeam released a survey in June that found flexible scheduling the most prized perk for summer.

The survey polled 449 working adults 18 and older employed in office environments and 515 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees. Workers were given a list of summer benefits and asked to choose their favorite. Forty-one percent of the workers named flexible schedules. Twenty-eight percent said leaving early on Fridays was their favorite perk. Eleven percent wanted activities such as a company picnic or potluck, and five percent wanted a more relaxed dress code. The remainder chose “other” or didn’t know or didn’t answer.

The survey also indicated that employers are getting on board with the idea, with 75 percent of the HR managers saying flexible scheduling is a summer benefit offered at their company. Sixty-three percent said they allow leaving early on Fridays, 57 percent offered a relaxed dress code, 28 percent sponsored picnics or potlucks, and six percent said they offered no summer benefits.

“Workers appreciate having more control over their schedules as they juggle personal and professional obligations,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Organizations that don’t offer summer benefits in some form may be missing out on a way to increase employee morale and retention.”

Implementing flexibility can result in a payoff, but it requires planning. “Businesses introducing flexible work arrangements should establish clear policies to ensure productivity isn’t negatively affected,” Hosking says. “It’s beneficial to stagger schedules and cross-train individuals so there’s always staff coverage. Conducting regular check-ins with team members who have alternate hours also helps keep projects on track.”

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