{"id":1059,"date":"2017-09-29T14:35:53","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T14:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hrdirectapps.com\/blog\/?p=1059"},"modified":"2021-10-07T16:08:56","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T16:08:56","slug":"unexcused-absences-impact-your-business-more-than-you-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hrdirectapps.com\/blog\/unexcused-absences-impact-your-business-more-than-you-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexcused Absences Impact Your Business More Than You Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

To be at work or not to be at work? That is the question.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

While employees across the country face this dilemma daily, business owners should do everything humanly possible to reduce unexcused absences. And for good reason:<\/em> Unplanned absenteeism significantly impacts morale and profitability.<\/p>\r\n

Before we go any further, ask yourself a question: Do you encourage unexcused time off by ignoring it? Be honest. Raise your hand if you\u2019ve ever let someone slide when he or she was tardy or called in sick. While turning the other cheek is definitely easier than addressing the issue, you\u2019re also sending a message that unplanned time off is acceptable. Instead, it\u2019s wiser to create a culture of accountability where everyone understands that last-minute absenteeism should be a rarity, not the norm.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n
<\/div>\r\n
According to the 2016 CareerBuilder annual survey on employee absenteeism, 35% of workers surveyed called in sick when they were perfectly healthy.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Understand the difference between excused and unexcused absences<\/h2>\r\n

You expect workers to miss a certain number of days each year in the form of vacation or personal time. Normally, excused absences are budgeted as a payroll expense and don\u2019t pose a problem, as long as you\u2019re tracking it consistently. However, unnecessary costs are incurred when time is taken but not deducted from an employee\u2019s bank of accrued time off.<\/p>\r\n

Unscheduled absences include arriving late, leaving early, taking longer breaks\/lunches than allowed, or not showing up at all. In the typical workplace, unscheduled absenteeism can range from 5% to 10%, meaning as many as one in ten workers is absent when they should be working, according to Circadian. Though this varies by industry, with healthcare and retail experiencing the highest rates of absenteeism, unscheduled time off disrupts the flow of any business.<\/p>\r\n

Calling in sick at the last minute impacts supervisors, employees who need to fill in and customers, too, if a thin staff stresses service resources or pushes deadlines. What\u2019s worse, however, is allowing chronic offenders to slowly pile up unproductive time. They\u2019re the ones bending the rules, and they will continue pushing the limits as long as it\u2019s allowed. Ten minutes here and there adds up quickly, especially if you do nothing to correct this behavior.<\/p>\r\n

Ignoring repeat offenders also sends a negative message to your accountable superstars. Though they are your most reliable employees, they could become jaded over time if they constantly fill in for chronic abusers and wonder why there are no consequences.<\/p>\r\n

<\/div>\r\n

One word of caution before you start addressing issues:<\/strong> Make sure the absence isn\u2019t protected by federal, state or local law. Absences for legally protected reasons, such as military leave or certain illnesses, should not be designated as \u201cunexcused\u201d unless the employee unreasonably didn\u2019t follow notification procedures (e.g., by not providing advance notice for a planned medical appointment, or not calling a supervisor for an unplanned absence), or it has been determined that he\/she does not meet eligibility requirements for legal protection.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n
These Absences May Be Protected<\/div>\r\n

You may be required by law (depending on your business\u2019 size, location and other factors) to grant permission for these time-off situations:<\/p>\r\n