5 Ways to Improve Employee Attendance

You’ve just hired a new employee for your organization. The new hire checked off all the boxes during the interview stage: motivated, qualified and enthusiastic. The first week went great: the second, not so much. It wasn’t a big deal when they called off on Monday, or even Tuesday. But Wednesday and Thursday as well? The pattern seems to be repeating more and more, with some new hires not showing up at all. Now you’re looking for ways to improve employee attendance. 

Employee absenteeism can be costly for companies in more ways than one. According to Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer, a Circadian publication, unscheduled absences cost about $3,600 a year for every hourly worker and $2,660 per year for salaried employees. In addition, excessive absenteeism can be expensive in terms of lost productivity and replacement costs.

Wondering how to avoid these negative results and improve attendance of new hires? Here are five ways to improve employee attendance:

Have a Clear Policy in Place

Make sure your organization follows a clear policy that employees must stick to if they are going to call off from work. If your business doesn’t have a straightforward procedure, workers may not understand what’s expected of them in terms of attendance. Consider creating an employee handbook outlining expectations or requiring workers to sign an attendance contract or policy statement. You can design your own based on this template. 

Creating a clear policy removes opportunities for workers to take advantage of unauthorized days off and outlines the disciplinary actions employees will face if they continue to be absent.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

No employee wants to be blindsided, and no employers want to hear excuses about workers not knowing the rules. Be sure to communicate clear expectations for the procedure of calling off work and the consequences of calling off. While employers should be empathetic and try to understand the worker’s situation, they must enforce company policy in order to maintain fairness. Creating an open line of communication between management and employees can help workers feel more comfortable discussing issues with their schedule that could lead to possible absences. 

Develop processes for employees to acknowledge they have received and read notices involving scheduling and shifts.

Offer Flexible Scheduling

Is flexible scheduling an option for your company? Remember that employees have lives outside of work: Many have kids, friends and family they may need to care for. When looking for ways to improve employee attendance, employers should pay attention to “hidden causes” of calling off work: An employee might be having consistent car trouble or problems with reliable childcare. Implementing flexibility in work schedules can improve engagement, attendance and even performance. 

If you’re using temporary or temp-to-hire employees through PeopleFirst Staffing, we coach them through challenges like transportation, housing and childcare. Could your company create resources for employees to tap into as well? An employer that helps new hires get on track could retain those grateful employees longer.

Build Workplace Morale and Team Spirit

Low morale can contribute to higher absentee levels. If new employees dislike their workplace, they’ll be less likely to show up. Building team spirit will make workers want to head to their job. Implementing positive changes in the workplace can make a big difference in morale. Think about what you can do to make your business a better place to work. Could you recognize achievements, reward big wins, move toward a more open company culture or organize group lunches? 

Here’s one of the ways to improve employee attendance: Consider a mentoring program that pairs more experienced workers with new hires who may be anxious about starting a job. In fact, a recent Deloitte study found that Millennials (those people born between 1981 and 1996) who “plan to stay with their organization for more than five years are twice as likely to have a mentor (68 percent).”

Reward with Bonuses and Incentives 

The universal language of business is money. If you’ve tried everything to get employees to show up and nothing has worked, consider offering attendance bonuses. These rewards can take many forms, such as cash bonuses, gift cards or extra planned time off. Bonuses can motivate employees and recognize a job well done simultaneously.

At PeopleFirst Staffing, we offer cash bonuses to our employee who complete 40 hours on the job. Employees can also earn referral bonuses once their referred friend is hired and stays in a job for 30 days. 

More Ways to Improve Employee Attendance

When you work with PeopleFirst Staffing, we focus on your hiring and staffing challenges. Let us help you with employee attendance at your workplace. Give us a call today.