As the workplace culture evolves to increase flexibility and engagement, companies consider how to handle attendance policies. Are absence management policies still appropriate or should companies trust employees to manage their time?
Distrust Leads to Disengagement
If management distrusts staff and creates strict attendance policies, the company may see an increase in absences. Employees can tell when managers don’t trust them and this can cause staff disengagement. Disengagement can lead to a decrease in effectiveness and an increase in absences as people find convenient excuses not to go to work, like a great football game on television.
Trust Increases Productivity
Statistics prove that just as a lack of trust decreases productivity, management faith in its staff increases production and engagement. People manage their own time and DVR that football game so that they can put more effort in their work.
Is There a Middle Ground?
So if trusting employees improves engagement and decreases absenteeism why is an attendance policy necessary? Unfortunately, not everyone deserves trust. There are employees who will be habitually late or absent, so the company needs to create policies to manage this minority.
In search of a middle ground, some companies have created attendance guidelines that management enforces when necessary. This allows the majority of workers to manage their time on their own while management offers support as needed. When someone abuses this system of trust, management has formal procedures in place to reprimand the transgressor.
Absence management policies don’t need to be strict or enforced with an iron fist. A guiding hand may prove affective for most employees and you will create a positive work environment that encourages employee engagement.
If you are looking for more information regarding absence reporting or employee management, contact the experts at Actec today.
