attendance policy

mjimenez

We are in the process of revising our policy and need to make sure this is legal:

Vacation excluded: 3 absences will result in a verbal warning, 3 more absences will result in a written warning, and 3 more will result in the loss of full time status and related benefits.

3 tardies will result in 1 absence, 3 unauthorized clocking out early will result in 1 absence.

We will reserve the right to revise, supplement, or rescind any policy or portion of the policy as it deems appropriate, in its sole and absolute discretion.

My concern is the loss of full time status????

marc

That's the part that jumped out at me as well. I don't know about the legality, but it does seem extremely harsh to me. Is there no way to redeem oneself? This would be a Cobra triggering event with respect to Health Insurance. The nightmare associated with that administration alone would be considerable.

Were I your employee, I would immediately find another job. This policy is designed to increase turnover.

Whatever

Since this is a revision, I don't know if I got the complete policy.
1. you don't include a period of time (i.e. three absences with a month, a week, ten years etc.)
2. If a person loses full-time status (which I assume includes a pay cut) can it ever be restored?
3. Why the loss of full-time status instead of a suspension?

Don D

Apart from the issue of losing status, you pointed out that vacation is not counted. What about illness? You'll be in a heap of potential trouble if you start penalizing people for being sick. Who wrote this policy. I'll venture a guess that he had an accouting background and not an HR background or education.

marc

More likely an operations background - some control freak who cannnot deal with the human equations tied up in attendance issues. Or perhaps an old timer HR person who was tired of the entitlement attitudes of governmental and union type EEs.x}> x;-)

Whatever

Nah-it was written by someone who swears they have never missed a day of work due to sickness (however, everyone near them has because they come with the flu or some other contagious disease). :oo

Don D

Care to go with a five dollar side bet Marc? xB-)

marc

Sure, and if neither of us is right we fax the proceeds to?

Don D

Bet's on.

marc

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-14-04 AT 11:56AM (CST)[/font][br][br]OK, mjimenez, can you settle the bet? Who, in your company, originated this policy?

mjimenez

Neither, the person that came up with this policy is a 34 year old male Nursing Supervisor (who has also been sick a day here and there and does not have an accounting background). This email is from an accountant by the way and that's why I'm asking for advice to make sure it is legal and fair. Remember I had the concern about losing the full-time status. Then what do you suggest when we had 169 absences in a year within 10 nurses (not including vacation)and we don't have sick pay? This has caused for us to hire two extra full-time nurses to make up the time the other nurses are out.

Whatever

I suggest you write an attendance policy. And, I believe there has been previous discussion of this issue. Certainly, if we had an ee with 16 unexcused absences, they would be terminated. The problem with the policy you described is that it is short on definitions and time limits. For example, is that 3 absences over a year, a month, the term of employment. What happens if you are have two absences and then do not miss a day of work for six months? What is an absence? Is there such a thing as an excused absence.
If a person is out for three consecutive days with a serious illness is that one absence or three? If it is three, are they then part time ees.
If you do take away full-time status and benefits, is there any way an ee can go back on full-time status and benefits.

I would suggest you consider a policy that progresses from warnings to suspensions to termination in clearly defined steps with clearly defined time periods. Without a written absenteeism policy, the ees will take advantage. However, you cannot solve the problem by going to the other extreme.

mjimenez

OK Whatever, I'm liking your suggestion from warnings to suspensions to termination. My next question is: how are suspensions handled? how many days do you do for suspension? Your suggestions are really helping alot. Thanks

HRCalico

A good resource I used when rewriting our attendance policy is the sample provided by HRHero. Go to the subscriber area, click on sample policies & procedures, and then scroll down to the attendance and punctuality policy. You'll want to tweak it (and delete the red explanation text) but it provides a good basis to start.

Note that I'm fixin' to rewrite it AGAIN - nothing is ever perfect!

Don D

Apart from your immediate dilemma, I can't imagine that a 'male nursing supervisor' is allowed to craft your HR policies. When in their nursing education did they experience a class in human resource management?

marc

So, the policy came from someone with an operational background? Sounds like I won the bet.