Addressing Attendance Issues
Steps for your first attendance conversation:
Meet with the employe in a private area to discuss their attendance. Always counsel in private and praise in public.
Start the conversation by explaining the pattern(s) of attendance issues that you are seeing and how they impact the business. (Ex: It came to my attention that the past three Mondays in a row you have arrived more than 30 minutes late to work.)
Review the attendance guidelines and expectations with the employee. (Ex: I want to be sure we are on the same page and that your working hours at 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. If you are going to be late or out please call me before your shift starts.)
Allow the employee time to provide you with feedback on why they have been having issues. Ask clarifying questions to understand their reason and offer any solutions that may help.
Brainstorm with the employee on how to resolve the attendance issue(s). Ask the employee how they think this could be best resolved. Work together to find the best solution for both the business and the employee.
Thank the employee for talking and being willing to address the issue. Send them a follow up email outlining the issue you discussed and the action plan to resolve it.
Add follow up check in dates to your calendar to review the employee’s improvements (or lack of).
If the attendance problems persist after the first conversation then repeat the steps above but each additional time that you meet with the employee, be sure to provide the employee with a written write up or disciplinary action form. This documentation will serve as your evidence of the work-related issue and your attempt to correct it properly.
If the employee has received more than 1 written warning and they continue to have attendance issues, please confer with your manager or HR team to determine if termination is the best next step.