Handling No-Show Employees: What to Do

Masha -

What should I do if an employee doesn't show up for work?

Attempt to contact the employee

It is crucial to promptly contact the employee on leave. This should include attempts via phone calls, text messages, or emails. This action serves dual purposes: confirming any emergencies and fulfilling the employer's duty for employee safety. If initial attempts fail, reaching out to the designated emergency contact is advisable.

Inform Human Resources

When an employee is absent, Human Resources must be notified. Human Resources can provide insight into whether the employee has notified them of any form of leave, such as sick leave, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) leave, or Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave.

Enforce the No-Call, No-Show Policy

A no-call, no-show policy sets out the terms of failure to show up for work. Consistent enforcement of the policy is essential. Depending on the severity and frequency of the misconduct, sanctions can range from a simple conversation to formal written warnings, suspensions or even terminations.

Investigate the Absenteeism

Before any disciplinary action is taken, it is essential to investigate why the employee was absent from work. It may turn out that the employee was legally protected by certain types of leave at the time. If this is ignored, claims may be made against the employer.

Consider disciplinary action

If the investigation under attendance management shows that the absence is not legally protected, the employer is within rights to consider disciplinary action. The severity may hinge on the employee's attendance track record and history with the company.

Document the process

A detailed record of the actions taken can be essential for later legal issues. Document attempts to contact the employee, any conversations with HR and the specific steps taken under the no-call, no-show policy.

Review and update policies

If incidents like this are becoming more frequent, a review and revision of existing policies may be warranted. Clear and up-to-date policies can help make things run more smoothly for both employers and employees.

Of course, it's possible that your employee simply forgot their shift. You can prevent this by using work scheduling software like IceHrm that sends automatic reminders to post the schedule and one hour before the shift starts.

What should I do if an employee leaves the company?

Try to contact the employee

If an employee doesn't show up for work, attempts should be made to contact them immediately. It's beneficial to have multiple contact options for each employee, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or even social media, to increase the chances of reaching them quickly. Your first attempt to contact the employee serves a dual purpose. First, it allows you to make sure the employee is OK, as they may have encountered an emergency situation. Second, they can explain their absence, which could be due to a misunderstanding or a sudden event that they were unable to communicate in advance.

If immediate attempts to contact the absent employee are unsuccessful, you should reach out to their emergency contacts. These contacts, often provided during the employee onboarding process, can provide insight into the employee's situation. If contact is unsuccessful, you should initiate the next steps in your process, but attempting to reach the employee is an important first step that should not be skipped.

Inform Human Resources

After attempting to reach the missing employee, you should contact Human Resources immediately. Human Resources plays an important role in managing the situation and can offer advice on how to handle the absence effectively and within legal limits. Human Resources is responsible for reviewing the absent employee's records for any scheduled vacation days, disabilities, or other permissible absences that you may not be aware of. In addition, Human Resources can clarify whether the absence constitutes termination, a breach of contract, or a violation of company policy.

Document the Incident

Accurate and thorough documentation of the situation is important for several reasons. Keeping records of your attempts to contact the employee, communications with Human Resources, and other related actions will give you a snapshot of how the absence was handled. These records serve as a safeguard against potential legal consequences and ensure that the employer followed company procedures. For example, if the situation has progressed to the point where termination is being considered, this documentation is invaluable in demonstrating fair treatment and due process for the absent employee. Employers should use a standardized form or digital platform to maintain these records.

Investigate the situation

Before any disciplinary action is taken, it is important to fully understand the situation that led to the absence. The investigation should include interviewing colleagues who may have information, as well as evaluating CCTV footage of the workplace and reviewing recent performance reviews. The reasons for the employee's absence can range from personal issues to workplace stress, and these factors can impact how you should respond. An investigation should aim to take a holistic look at the circumstances of the absence to enable informed decisions to be made going forward.

The employment contract should be reviewed to understand the potential legal implications of the employee's absence. These contracts often include clauses that outline reasons for termination, acceptable reasons for absence, and required notice periods. Understanding these contractual details is necessary before moving toward disciplinary action or termination. Consulting an employment lawyer can further ensure that any actions taken are consistent with both the employment contract and state laws.

Addressing staffing issues

The unexpected absence of an employee can disrupt workflow and productivity. Short-term adjustments may be necessary, such as reassigning the absent employee's duties to existing staff or hiring temporary workers. Depending on the nature of the work and the anticipated length of the absence, more permanent solutions such as hiring a new employee may also be necessary. Planning for these eventualities is critical to minimize productivity interruptions and maintain a stable work environment.

Review and update policies

If similar incidents have occurred multiple times, it may be an indication that existing workplace policies are inadequate or unclear. It may be necessary to revise policies on absence, notice periods and conflict resolution. Employers should look at the commonalities between these incidents to determine what changes should be made. For example, if many employees are quitting without notice due to workplace conflict, a more effective conflict resolution policy may need to be developed and implemented.

Reflecting on workplace culture

Finally, multiple or high-profile incidents of unexplained employee absences may indicate a deeper problem with the work environment. This is an opportunity to question management practices and the overall culture. Factors such as high stress, poor management, lack of support or even bullying could be the cause of these incidents. Employers should take this as an opportunity to rethink their management style, seek employee feedback and possibly conduct a comprehensive review of workplace culture.

  • Falling Absenteeism Rate: In 2023, the national absenteeism rate has fallen to 3.1%, down from 3.6% in 2022.
  • Overtime due to absences: Almost half of overtime is worked to replace missing staff. This can lead to a thinning workforce and reduce job satisfaction.
  • Impact on productivity: Unplanned absences can reduce productivity by up to 40%, with unplanned absences having the biggest impact at 36.6%.
  • When absences are highest: More people are absent from work on Mondays, Fridays, and days before holidays.
  • Still locked into manual work: More than half of large companies have not yet moved away from manual tracking of absences, leading to repeated no-shows.
  • Health-related no-shows: In January 2022, 5.4% of full-time employees were on sick leave, and around 1.5 million Americans were absent from work due to COVID-19 in December 2022.
  • Reasons for absence from work: Illness, doctor's appointments, and mental health issues are major reasons, with mental health issues costing the U.S. economy $47.6 billion in lost productivity.
  • Looking ahead to work stoppages in 2024
  • More strikes expected: 2024 could see more work stoppages, with transit workers in the Northeast U.S. already hinting at strikes.
  • Significant strikes: 2023 saw big moments like the largest U.S. healthcare strike by Kaiser Permanente workers.
  • Experiment shorter weeks: Some employers are trying shorter work weeks to avoid burnout and increase satisfaction.
  • Effects of climate change: It will likely continue to impact worker well-being and productivity.
  • Drivers of work stoppages: Economic concerns, debates about hybrid work and artificial intelligence in the workplace are generating excitement.
  • Notable actions: Condé Nast and Forbes Union had notable strikes that brought labor issues into focus.
  • Overall trends: Work stoppages increased 92% in 2022—a sign of growing unrest that could continue into 2024. Media workers are increasingly taking action against layoffs and cost-cutting.

How to prevent walkouts

When an employee walks out of work, it's a sign that something is wrong in the workplace.

Yes, an employee should never walk out of work, and of course it is grounds for termination (depending on the circumstances and legal compliance), but ask yourself what is going on in your leadership style and workplace culture to drive an employee to take this action.

An effective and simple way to change your leadership style and employee engagement is to have regular short conversations with employees you trust and adjust their working conditions accordingly.

Ask them for help in developing your leadership style. Ask what is going well and what you can still improve. Then, if you follow your employees' advice every few weeks and ask them if you are doing a better job of implementing the points they suggested, you will improve your leadership style significantly. Your employees will also work harder to help you and the company succeed.

Managing employee absenteeism requires swift action and adherence to company policies. IceHrm simplifies tracking and compliance for smoother operations.