What is the attendance policy?

An attendance policy is the central document of a company that defines the rules of employee attendance. Effective attendance policies will help reduce absenteeism and tardiness while stimulating a healthier work environment where employees know what is expected of them and have clear boundaries for acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

What is the purpose of an attendance policy?

The purpose of an attendance policy is to define what excused, and unexcused absences are, how sick leave is handled, what a manager’s responsibility is, and what disciplinary action might be taken if an employee violates the policy.

Why is attendance policy important?

An attendance policy is important because it gives employees and managers a central point of reference, so everyone knows the company standards and what is expected of them. It provides details on different types of absences, punctuality standards, and potential disciplinary action that may be taken in appropriate situations. Attendance policies are useful for companies that want to create more productive, efficient workplaces and minimize issues between managers and employees.

Why do you need an attendance policy?

You need an attendance policy so that your employees know what is expected of them in terms of punctuality and attendance. Employees should know what qualifies as an excused or unexcused absence, what they need to do to request an excused absence, and what actions will be taken if they are continually late, leave early, or are absent. If you want to create a more productive, collaborative workplace where employees show up on time and stay for their full shifts, you need an attendance policy.

How do you rate attendance and punctuality?

You can rate attendance and punctuality by maintaining detailed records of each employee’s attendance. You can do this with automated check-in systems or by having managers keep track of their team member’s attendance. Once you have a pool of attendance and punctuality data, you can see how each employee scores. Specialized employee management software can be a useful tool that makes attendance and punctuality tracking easier.

Attendance Policy Template

Prepared by:

[Sender.FirstName][Sender.LastName][Sender.Company]

Prepared for:

[Employee.FirstName][Employee.LastName][Employee.Company]

Objective

The objective of [Sender.Company] 's employee attendance policy is to lay out clear expectations and standards for our employees regarding punctuality and attendance. It also outlines the different types of absences and how attendance and punctuality issues will be handled.

Scope

The [Sender.Company] attendance policy applies to all employees regardless of their position or type of employment. It does not apply to contractors unless specified in their agreements.

Policy

Regular attendance is a core responsibility of each employee at [Sender.Company]. Each employee is expected to report to work on time and, as scheduled, ready to start working. Employees are required to check in when they arrive for each shift using (software used for attendance if applicable).

Employees are expected to remain at work for each shift of their work schedule. Arriving late to a shift or leaving early is unacceptable, barring specific permission from your manager, and consistent punctuality issues will lead to potential disciplinary action as specified within this policy.

Types of absences

An absence can either be "excused" or "unexcused." These terms are defined as follows:

Excused absence:

When an employee provides a minimum of 48 hours' notice to their supervisor, receives approval from their supervisor, and has appropriate vacation time or sick days to cover the absence. Some examples of reasons for excused absences include serious accidents, family emergencies, illnesses, etc.

Unexcused absence:

When an employee does not provide the minimum amount of notice specified previously, does not receive approval from their supervisor, and does not have available paid time off to cover the absence. Some examples of unacceptable absences include waking up late, traffic, bad weather, and unapproved holidays.

If an employee has less than (number) incidents of absenteeism or tardiness in a year, then they will receive an additional paid day off for next year.

If an employee has more than (number) incidents of absenteeism or tardiness in a year, then they will be subject to potential disciplinary action as specified within this policy.

Employees with three or more consecutive days of excused absences due to an injury or an illness may need to provide [Sender.Company] with a doctor's note if requested by HR or their manager.

Manager's responsibility

It is each supervisor's responsibility to monitor the attendance of any employees that fall under their management. If an employee is consistently late or absent, the manager should arrange a private meeting with the employee to discern whether they need help with anything or are unclear as to the expectations about attendance and punctuality. If the employee needs assistance or if disciplinary action is warranted, the manager should inform the HR department.

Disciplinary action

Employees will not be compensated for unexcused absences. If an employee is consistently absent or tardy, disciplinary action may be taken up to and including termination of employment.

Signature

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