Attendance-related Issues

Problems in this area include:

• Poor attendance patterns such as using sick time as quickly as it is accrued or unscheduled absences on a regular basis.
• Failure to call in on unscheduled absences.
• Failure to schedule vacation time in advance.
• Frequent, regular use of the emergency time-off provisions, avoiding the advance notice requirements.
• Regular tardiness.
• Extended lunch hours or break times away from work.
• Absent without pay time, i.e., time away from work in excess of accrued time off benefits.

Review the provisions of the university's attendance and absences policies:

• All Staff
  • Attendance, Absences, and Personal Emergency
• Exempt Staff
  • Work Hours for Exempt Staff Who are Not Eligible for Overtime
• Non-Exempt Staff
  • Work Schedules and Hours for Non-Exempt Employees

In addition, know your department's expectations and actual practices with respect to attendance. Determine the following:

• are your practices inconsistent with the Personnel Policies
• are your departmental-level policies unclear
• are policies not being applied, or
• are policies being applied inconsistently?

If any of these circumstances exist, adjust your actual practices to be consistent with the university and/or your departmental-level policies. Establish departmental level standards and expectations if none exist. Communicate this change to all of your staff following the guidelines for changing a past practice.

Communicate your department's attendance expectations clearly, explaining the significance and importance of good attendance and notification and scheduling requirements.