How to Handle the Employee That Misses Too Many Days From Work

Use a friendly tone of voice when confronting the employee.

Dealing with a truant employee is a tricky issue. Even if an employee misses work for legitimate reasons, it still means colleagues must shoulder her workload. A truant employee can cause profits to decrease and friction in the workplace. If you have an employee who misses too many days from work, managing the situation effectively will boost your credibility among your colleagues and promote a more professional and harmonious work environment.

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Be fair. If the employee misses work because of health or family reasons, you can be lenient. If, however, the employee misses work because of neglect or apathy, you have no obligation to allow such behavior to continue. A fair and reasonable response to each individual's reasons for missed work is all that can be asked. If you are fair, you show a commitment to high standards and expectations, and respect for other employees.
- 2
  
  Give the employee both verbal and written warnings. Document her abuses and be explicit as to the consequences of further unacceptable attendance. Be discreet, as such a warning can be embarrassing to the employee and lead to gossip from coworkers. A written warning, in particular, can make the employee realize her continued absenteeism will have consequences. Even if the employee has missed work repeatedly, such a warning can be the impetus needed to motivate her to clean up her act.
- 3
  
  Be consistent. If a precedent has been set regarding tolerance for missing a certain number of work days, follow that precedent. It isn't fair to other employees if you treat one differently from others who displayed similar behavior.
- 4
  
  Dock the employee's pay for days missed if he does not have a valid excuse. An employee who does not show up to work does not deserve to get paid. When he runs short of money, he will likely value his employment more and be more reliable in coming to work.
- 5
  
  If all remedies fail, terminate the employee. If the number of days missed with no valid excuse becomes untenable, you have no other option. So long as you have given the errant employee several chances to change her ways and at least one written warning, there should be no repercussions from eliminating her from your team.