The Employer’s Legal Advisor

The Attendance Problem

Attendance problem patterns often appear on Mondays and Fridays and before holidays. There are also problems with employees who are chronically tardy, who leave early, or who take long lunch hours. The only solution is discipline that either corrects the problem or allows you to fire the offender.

Discipline becomes a problem when different supervisors and managers take independent action. After all, no two people act alike in the same circumstance, and you may have variances within your own house that contribute to discrimination claims. To overcome this problem, many employers have resorted to a no-fault attendance policy that assigns points for leaving early, tardiness, and absence. (An example of such a policy is given ...