Absenteeism policy is a detailed set of rules and regulations in the organization that states all about the employees’ attendance. It is structured to define the number of employees expected to be present in the office, and at what time their shift starts.
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What is an Absenteeism Policy?
An absenteeism policy is a document given to an employee during their onboarding process that defines the organization’s attendance structure. The policy states the number of days an employee can be absent from the workplace.
It states how many leaves are applicable for an employee with pay with it and the procedure that needs to be followed in case the employee doesn’t adhere to it.
It maintains the efficiency and effectiveness of the company.
If we look back to the history of this issue, until the 20th century there was a “No work: No pay” policy. You take a leave; you will not be paid for that day. This caused a stir around the unions due to which they all came to a settlement where organizations granted various leaves like the sick leaves.
Why is Absenteeism Policy Required?
Absenteeism policy is important in defining the culture and professionalism of the company and employees. This policy is necessary because, it
- Specifies a company’s expectations from its employees.
- Forms a strong and stringent frame of work culture.
- Helps to maintain discipline amongst employees.
- Maximizes the productivity of employees.
- Helps HRs to keep track of the attendance of the employees.
- Maintain fairness between the employees and the team.
- Increases individuality amongst a workforce.
Absenteeism Policy Documentation
An absenteeism policy document is provided to the employee during the onboarding. This document specifies exactly how the leaves are structured for them and what system is to be followed. This document contains,
- Creating the definition of absenteeism.
- Specifying the number of leaves the employee can take in a month.
- Reasons that are valid for leave.
- Procedure to be followed to apply for a leave.
- Break time.
- Paid time off per year.
- Work-from-home day.
- Maternity and paternity leave.
- Public holidays.
- Rules to be applied if the employee reaches late to the office.
- Triggers and consequences of violating the rules regarding the same.
Absenteeism policies have built a sense of security and trust between the employee and the employer. This article by Gartner defines how the paid leave system impacts the employer brand. As an employer if you convince the employees that they have this leverage of flexibility, the employee will be more dedicated and productive towards the teams.
Absence Rate
Absence rate is a mathematical metric used for calculating the rate at which the employee is absent. This helps the employer to generate a report through which they can audit the employee’s seriousness and dedication towards the work individually.
Computing absence rate can help to
- Implement better communication strategies between the employer and the team members.
- Give feedback to the employee.
- Change the policy, if required.
- Remove unnecessary workforce.
How to calculate absence rate?
To calculate absence rate the formula is,
Absence rate = (Number of days of employees’ absence / Number of working days) * 100
Through this formula we will get the percentage of the absence report for the employee.
Today, absenteeism policy has become an indispensable part of the organizations. The employer establishes trust amongst employees and in return the employee delivers their best by being productive and dedicating themselves to their team. Absenteeism policy is one such example of that trust theory.
We know everything about absenteeism policy now. What it means, how important it is, what benefit it delivers, what the absence rate is and what are the impacts generated due to the absenteeism policy in the organizations. A strong and structured organization is more likely to stay in the long run in this very competitive industry.
I hope we helped you by enlightening your existing knowledge. We will keep bringing in more for you. Till then keep reading, keep thinking and keep HRing!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the rule of absenteeism?
Although there are no general guidelines that are followed universally regarding the absenteeism of an employee. It varies from company to company how they set up their rules and regulations for the same. Many companies choose unexcused 3-days’ time in a period of 90-days acceptable by the organization whereas many others choose different way for the same.
2. What to include in an absenteeism policy?
An absenteeism policy document should contain,
- Number of leave granted to the employee during a particular time period.
- Reasons that are counted as valid for leave.
- Paid leaves information.
- Break time.
- Procedure to be followed to apply for a leave.
- Public holidays.
This is general content that should be there in the policy document. If any company wants to modify the rules, they can do it.
3. Why do you need an absenteeism policy?
An absenteeism policy is important for the organization as well as the employee.
- It explains the structure of the organization.
- It sets the expectations of the employer for the employee.
- It maintains discipline amongst the employees.
- It helps to establish a sense of trust, dedication and transparency between the employee and the employer.
- The policy defines the clear instructions that need to be followed. In case of any nuisance, the actions for violating those rules are also specified in the document.