What is considered excessive absenteeism?

Excessive absenteeism is defined as two or more occurrences of unexcused absence in a 30-day period and will result in disciplinary action.

What is considered high absenteeism?

What is a High Absenteeism Rate? A rate above 4% may be deemed a high absence rate. As the average rate is 1.8% is healthy, this might increase to over 4.3% if an employee has flu or an illness that makes them miss a few weeks of work. If your rate is below 1.8%, this can sometimes be a problem.

How much absenteeism is acceptable?

As a rule of thumb, a 1.5% absence rate is a healthy rate (pun intended). Illness is impossible to prevent for 100% and taking 3-4 days per year off because of a severe cold or another ailment is fine.

How much is too much absence?

SHRM defines excessive absenteeism as “two or more occurrences of unexcused absence in a 30-day period.”² That's a valuable data point to use as a gauge for what counts as excessive absenteeism in the workplace.

How many days is too much to miss work?

As every company is different, there is no universal guideline for how many days off is considered excessive absenteeism. But a good definition would be 3 or more unexcused occurrences in a 90-day period. In general, companies should strive for a 1.5% absenteeism rate from their employees.

Excessive Absenteeism

How often do most people call in sick?

The average full-time worker in the US gets an average of 7 paid sick days per year. However, employees tend to not use all their sick time. In reality, most employees only take 2-3 sick days a year.

How many unscheduled absences are acceptable per year?

Absenteeism Is Broadly Defined As Chronic / Habitual / Not Prescheduled / Failure To Appear For Work – That Isn't Authorized By The Employee's Supervisor. Absenteeism rates vary across occupations & industry. Two (or less) unscheduled absences each year for an employee is considered an 'acceptable' absence rate.

Can I terminate an employee for excessive absenteeism?

If you are wondering whether you can be fired for excessive absenteeism, the answer is yes – it is legal for your employer to fire you for a low attendance rate or unsatisfactory performance.

Can I write up an employee for excessive absences?

Persistent Tardiness: The habit of clocking in late can disrupt workflows and impact team morale. Regular tardiness should be addressed with a formal notice. Excessive Absenteeism: Even with valid reasons, frequent absences can hamper productivity and warrant an attendance write-up.

Is calling in sick an unexcused absence?

Sick or medical leave is another type of excused absence. Oftentimes, to have sick time excused, you need to have a doctor's note as proof that you visited a healthcare professional and possibly that you are also cleared to return to work.

How do you deal with an employee who is always absent?

What is considered chronic absenteeism in the workplace?

What Is Chronic Absenteeism? Chronic absenteeism is when an employee is consistently absent from the workplace, which impairs them from doing their work in a timely and productive manner. These regular absences can be in violation of a company's personal/sick day policy and lead to termination.

How do you talk to an employee about excessive absenteeism?

What is the biggest cause of employee absenteeism?

What if an employee calls out sick a lot?

It's usually a good idea for the employee's supervisor to interview the employee and find out why they called in sick. Require notice from a physician if employees miss a great deal of work due to illness or injury. This will also help you determine if their absence should be covered under FMLA.

How do you discipline an employee for attendance?

An attendance write up is a disciplinary measure taken for employees who are consistently tardy or absent to work. It documents the steps taken to address the attendance issues and what the next disciplinary measures will be if the employee does not resolve the problem.

What is a warning letter for excessive absenteeism?

Dear: Please consider this a letter of warning concerning your continuing attendance problems. Your uneven attendance is beginning to affect other parts of your job, making improvement even more essential. Attendance records indicate that since ___________, you have used a total of ______ days on ______ occasions.

What disciplinary action is taken for excessive absences?

However, if the absences are excessive, without sufficient reason and constitute a flagrant disregard of workplace policies, then you are justified to initiate your company's progressive disciplinary process. This can start with a verbal warning and advance to written warnings and termination.

What not to say when terminating an employee?

How many sick days before disciplinary?

The employer needs to set the trigger point for disciplinary action due to excessive sick days off. How many sick days must accrue before disciplinary action is taken is an employer's decision to make.

What to say to an employee who's requesting too much time off?

The best thing you can do is be very direct and explicit about your expectations and what she needs to do differently: "Jane, I count on you to be here reliably for your regularly scheduled shifts. It's fine to request time off on occasion, but that should be rare, not multiple times each month.

How much unexcused absenteeism is acceptable before discipline?

There is no universal standard for the number of unexcused absences that are acceptable before an employee is disciplined. It depends on the company's policies and the specific circumstances surrounding the absences.

How do you evaluate an employee with poor attendance?

Is 1 sick day a month too much?

Whether sick leave is considered problematic may not just pertain to the number of days absent but also the pattern of how sick days taken are spread across the calendar. An employee taking a sick day every month on Fridays adds up to 12 days a year. Normally, 12 sick days might not ring any alarm bells.

Can I get fired for calling in sick 2 days in a row?

"If you're working in a state with at-will employees, they can fire you for anything that's not illegal," Augustine says. That means that unless you qualify for legal protections under FMLA or the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is nothing stopping an employer from firing you for calling in sick.