Every manager understands how difficult it can be when your meticulously designed work schedule gets canceled due to someone not showing on time. It happens. You know this. If it’s an emergency, or illness, there are times when employees are unable to go to work. However, if your employee doesn’t notify you, it’s an entirely different matter. You’re stuck with no light and need to search for shelter. This affects productivity and puts stress on the other team members. No call no show policy can prevent issues from happening. It sets out your expectations and consequences of a no-show and clear. The book also provides procedures for dealing with missing-in-action scenarios.
This article provides all the necessary information to develop a no-call or no show policy. Include it in your general attendance policy to keep your company operating efficiently.
What Is A No Call No Show Policy ?
Employees who aren’t on time for work and do not inform you are given an absence, no show.
Sometimes, things happen and employees are not able to show up for work. This could be due to a medical issue, a cancellation of transport or bereavement or domestic emergencies. Most likely, the workers will call you as quickly as they can to notify you. This will give you the opportunity to make a quick decision on what you need to do.
The employees who are absent in action have different reasons. It is difficult to know exactly what’s happening or what decisions you’ll need to make. There’s no doubt that others on your team will be annoyed and depressed over being left in the dust with no explanation. Customer service and productivity will likely be affected. You’ll also be concerned about staff members’ wellbeing.
Why Do I Need A No Call No Show Policy?
People may think it’s acceptable to disappear from the workplace in the absence of any policy. Also, research shows that absences that are not scheduled are, on average, linked to an average of 36.6 percent decrease in productivity. This isn’t only the unneeded headaches and frustration that result from absences that aren’t scheduled. They also have a significant impact on your business’s bottom line.
While a no-call, or no show policy doesn’t completely remove the problem however it does clarify the consequences for employees. Also, it outlines for managers the steps they’ll need to follow. It eases the burden dealing with absences that are not explained. It also helps supervisors keep their show going.
Even small-scale businesses with only one employee are advised to consider a no-call or no show policy. A clear set of expectations and guidelines makes things simpler for both employees and employers.
Develop A No Call No Show Policy In Four Easy Steps
1. Set The Rules
The rules can differ between businesses. Choose the best option for your business. For instance, you could tell employees to notify their manager that they are unable to work for at minimum 30 minutes prior to.
Additionally, you must find acceptable ways for employees to communicate with you. This could be via a phone message or text message directed to your supervisor. Also, consider identifying any unacceptable notifications. Notifying someone via message via email or business IM isn’t a good idea in the evenings where managers aren’t registered. In the same way, texting or ringing an employee should be prohibited.
Then, consider the steps that the manager must follow when confronted with an unjustified absence. Your first goal is to ensure the welfare of the employee. Supervisors can try calling employees to find out what’s wrong. Maybe they missed the alarm or had an accident. It is essential to make sure that they’re safe.
If it takes three or four unsuccessful attempts it is decided that the manager needs to call the emergency contacts of the employee to ensure their health. If the employee has experienced an emergency family members will be able to give you the details.
Once you’ve figured out what’s going on, you can give assistance to the employee. If you want, you can discipline the employee if needed. Also, you can ask others to fill in the shortfall.
Identify The Consequences
It is then time to clearly define the implications of absences that are not explained. It is important being fair as well as rational. Sometimes , things happen. A worker who is who is involved in a crash or having to cope with the sudden loss of a loved one’s death is likely to not prioritize calling work.
A majority of employers aren’t likely to punish a worker severely for a single absence. If there is an ongoing pattern or the employee has been off for a number of days without communication, you might consider disciplinary measures. The options include written or verbal warnings, suspensions and eventually the termination.
A lot of companies use the rule of three strikes. Three consecutive days without excused absences, or even three distinct incidents can result in disciplinary actions.
3. Have An Employment Lawyer Check Your Policy
If you’ve drafted a policy, it’s worth getting the help of an attorney to review the policy. Employment laws differ between states. An experienced lawyer can confirm that you have all legal rights protected.
Additionally, certain workers could take advantage of protected sick days and do not need to inform you about their absence. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Family Medical Leave Act permit employees to use sick days or take leave for medical or family reasons. A lawyer for employment will make sure your policy does not mean that employees have been unlawfully terminated.
4. Tell Your People About The Policy
If you’ve got an no-call no show policy, you must notify everyone you know about. Sending an email or updating your employee handbook isn’t enough.
Instead, you should talk to your staff members and allow them to ask questions. This way, they’ll know exactly what’s happening. It is important to make sure everyone understands the distinction between excused and not excused absences. Another good suggestion is to obtain to sign a written statement that they’ve read and understand the policy. You do not want any miscommunications to come back on your side when it comes down to the implementation of the policy.
Make sure you highlight this new rule on the new employee’s upon boarding program. Make sure it is at a location that is easily accessible, like the intranet of your company.
The only thing you need to do is make sure your policy is consistently followed. You aren’t looking being accused of discrimination, or even discrimination. Thus, your no call non-show policy must be enforced on all employees no matter if the employee is otherwise a top employee.
Best Practice Tips For Reducing No Call No Shows
A policy by itself will not solve the issue. Here are some additional actions you can take to address in-actions.
- Be sure workers are informed of their shifts A common most common causes of a non-show is because the staff aren’t aware about their schedules. There may be an emergency change in the last minute that the employee didn’t realize about, or perhaps a mistake in communication. Be sure to communicate your regular schedules of work. The intranet is the ideal way to update staff, or using push notifications in chat for teams..
- Make sure that employees agree to their schedules One way to solve scheduling issues is to have employees confirm their shifts. It doesn’t matter if it’s via email or tracking system The confirmation of the employee eliminates the ‘I wasn’t aware I was on the clock today excuse.
- Create an on-call listing: On-call lists provide immediate relief in the event of late-night absences. Employees looking for additional shifts can make themselves available to cover absences. Be sure that your list of on-call employees is not mandatory. There are times when not everyone is available in late hours. However, having a backup plan can help ease the stress of a call that doesn’t come through or not showing up.
