Attendance Policies - how specific?

Cxjo

I am wondering how many of you have attendance policies that are very specific -- and by that I mean where you list either points issued for infractions (i.e. 1/2 point for tardiness) and/or you list the number of infactions before a certain type of discipline can be imposed (i.e. 2 unexcused absences will result in a verbal warning; 4 will result in a written, etc).

Is your type of attendance policy standard in your industry? union or non-union?

The reason I ask is that this is an area that I go back and forth on; part of me wants the policy to be very precise, yet there's a piece of me that doesn't want to get so wrapped up in specificity.

I'm looking to hear your experiences/practices and words of wisdom.

Thanks

Pork

Attendance & Tardiness are the number 1 & 2 reasons for termination within our company. Our situation and operations require employees to be on time and there when scheduled, so that the team can begin together knowing we are all there and ready to hold up our individual task or holding up my task, plus someone else's task, that did not get there for whatever reason. Hopefully we know the reason and can tell the team why we must carry the load with three team members rather than four. Additionally, the team is entitled to know 'how long we are to work with just three members rather than four required to get the job done today'. That is back ground!

Our policy statement is 5 paragraphs and is covered under absentism. The fourth paragraph says: "unsatisfactory attendance will result in disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and discharge, as well as an adverse effect on any promotion and compensation increase considerations."

The fifth paragraph brings the hammer down: "NOTE: Absence includes late arrival at work as well as early departures. All lost time on the job for unexcused reasons is subject to disciplinary action. An employee who fails to call in for three successive days, and fails to produce an acceptable excuse, will be considered terminated and coded a voluntary quit." Our State Employment Commission supports the employer when we have a attendance policy and follows the policy. "NO CALL NO SHOW" and they know they will be gone.

We have a lot of the new employees, who are young and have not developed that pride of "team membership" fall into this happening. The young people of todays work force do not have the work force ethic that makes them "tuned in and automatic at being at work and in place at a designated time. What our country needs to do is get back to the conscription military so they can learn personal responsibility for their own person and their fellow man/woman. When our work force comes right out of high school, they do not have in many, many cases this sense of belonging and responsible for a position on a working team. Thus, we end up with making sure how our company/s handle this matter with sticking to a written policy and acting, accordingly..

If it is not important to your company's overall scheme of business, let it be loose and flexible; if it is otherwise important, then you must set rules and expectations. If the team is made of young people you can bet their work ethic is totally different from we old people who are the current leaders of the company. I hope this helps, good luck Pork

SDDCHR

Very well put Pork! Also remember that if you make it specific, you're accepting their performance up to the time that you are able to discipline based upon your policy. In other words, 1/2 point for an absence...once you've reached 2 points you will recieve a days suspension. This allows for 4 infractions. A better way to look at it is the disruption of the work force. Efficiency and morale, violation of standard work rules established for the safe, efficient, or effective operation of the agency, etc.

Specifics do keep it objective. If you don't go this route you must ensure that once a precendence is set, other decisions are based the same.

Cxjo

The policies I have written (or re-written as the case may be) have been very similar to Porks. I tend to like the vague... keeps our hands less tied. The health care setting I worked in had, for years, had a point system. (this was all written in the TWELVE PAGE (!) attendance policy that I re-wrote and got down to one page). I eliminated it because it was not being consistently applied anyway and caused more problems than it solved. Yet.... these same managers who didnt want to take the time to foloow this point system, seemed to want it back once it was gone. It was almost a crutch to them "gee Susie, I HAVE to do this written warning because the attendance policy says so"

I just was sitting her pondering and ruminating about it and wondering what other's people's experiences have been. That's why I asked the question.

(Oh yeah... plus I recently moved across the country, haven't found an HR job yet, and feel the need to read and re-read this bulletin board in order to keep my mind active and my hands in HR.)

Pork

Cxjo, I have had hearing officers challenge me on a point system. I got rid of the one that was on board for that very reason. Trying to keep everything posted and counted and uncounted is another adminstrative nightmare that will get you a lost case for a math mistake or a date mistake. it is hard enough just to get the attendance controller posted and up to date. My assistant when ask a few minutes ago where is our "attendance controller", she lowered her head and reported it to be at her home for she took it home to get caught up to date. She also realized she had gotten caught in doing work at home without reporting it for pay. A violation that gets others terminated! Needless to say, I am disappointed but proud of her loyality to me and the company. We will have a discussion later. i guess I need to be doing the Attendance Controller in stead of this forum. Got to run! Pork