Questions like why at all an attendance policy is required may arise in the mind of some. To a little extent, they may even be right if there is biometric attendance software and a few obvious attendance rules like the work hours, etc.
But, having an attendance policy in place also saves the employer from the excuses that employee gives for taking unplanned leaves on a stretch.
This was just an instance, small things like these can add up and contribute to lost productivity. However, the fact that employees have a personal life and can get stuck in traffic or get late sometimes also needs to be considered. The policy should just benefit you as an employer but employee as well. So, in this blog, we tell you how you can make the attendance policy fair for the employees and for the employers.
1. Consider your work culture
You may have been developing an attendance policy by referring a competitor’s policy but it may fail. The work culture needs to be in alignment with the attendance policy. You just cannot expect the employees to change their behaviour in a jiffy. If you will make stringent work policies, they will oppose them. For instance, if earlier, employees were enjoying a flexible work schedule, they will not be able to follow a strict time to leave and join the office. To bring discipline, you can ask the employees to work complete certain work hours and allow them to leave a few hours early for a few days in a month, if not daily.
2. Keep the policy simple
The policy should be simple and easy to understand. While you should use the jargon, it is really necessary to make sure that every employee gets it. Either you explain the same well during the orientation programme or keep the language simple. Moreover, the policies should be able to encapsulate each and every scenario. It should include what will be the action if an employee is one hour late and also the set of actions when the employee in a few minutes late.
3. Include disciplinary actions for every scenario
After defining your attendance policies, it is necessary to state the action plan if any of the rule mentioned in the attendance policy is not followed. After giving a good thought, you should make it clear, if they will be paid or marked absent or on half-day, if they come on so and so time. Moreover, you should also mention the action that can be taken if unplanned leaves are taken more than the said limit by the employees.
4. Treat others like you would like to be treated
It is not fair to mark an employee absent or on a half day if he is late by a few minutes. You should not forget the workplace values and that your employees are humans. Don’t treat them so bad that they start considering their job as a punishment. Remember, even that will lead to a loss in productivity.
So, use biometric attendance software but don’t forget to update a good attendance policy in it.
