Work missed

HCCADC

I have an employee who has a terrible attendance record. She went out on Worker's Comp for 6 weeks, has been back for 3 weeks and in the 3 weeks has taken 3 days off. (not related to worker's comp injury) She now has taken the last 2 days off, one with a doctor slip. Could you give me advice as to how to proceed with this employee? Should I given her a written warning or b/c she has a doctor slip, I shouldn't talk with her about this. (BTW-we do not have a formal policy in place regarding to attendance) Thanks for your help! Have a good day!

crawfod

Sounds like one of the first things to do is establish a written attendance policy that includes details about medical absences, including how you handle work related absences (which normally are excused). You also may have FMLA issues to deal with on this person to the point their recent absences may be protected by the Act. Without a formal attendance policy, you're left with trying to treat all employees consistently, and this can be very difficult in attendance matters. If you haven't defined unacceptable attendance somewhere, how can an employee be subject to discipline? Good luck.

lorrie

You need to be consistent and handle these absences the same as you have done other employees in the past. Sometimes it is nice to forget the formal policy and handle things with common sense as issues arise, but attendance is something that can get out of hand pretty quick. Even for a small company, a formal, written attendance policy is very important. That helps you determine how to handle it, and it also helps the employee know what to expect ahead of time instead of leaving them to decide how many absences are acceptable.