Effective Strategies for Attendance Management and Leave Policy Enforcement

Hi all,

Can anyone help me out in drafting a circular for the absentees? Actually, a lot of employees are availing leave for more than 3 days, and some have also taken 14 days off. However, they expect to receive their full salary. The management has instructed me to issue a circular informing them that their salary would be deducted.

Please advise.

Regards,
Tabassum

I understand that your company has no certified Standing Orders of your own. If you have standing orders, the leave rules, actions to be taken when an employee is on unauthorized leave, etc. will be mentioned in the standing orders itself. (Standing orders as certified by the Labor Department are mandatory for establishments having at least 100 employees). You can try this circular.

"It has been observed with regret that many employees take leave without intimation and sanction. Availing leave without intimation will be treated as unauthorized leave for which no pay will be given henceforth. Similarly, any person who avails leave without sanction from the competent person beyond seven days shall be presumed to have abandoned the service with this organization, and his/her name will be removed from the rolls without further notice. This is for communication and adherence with immediate effect."

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Hi Madhu,

Thank you for your reply. You are correct; we have no standing orders in our company. I spoke to the absentees, and they say that they work on Sundays and holidays sometimes. They are asking for compensation for the leave. We are compensating for the leave, but if it extends beyond 7 days, how do we cover it? Can we include the days worked (holidays and Sundays) from earlier months?

Additionally, they mentioned that they are sick and from outstation. They need to take leave to visit their native place, which would require 4-5 days. They express concerns that if their salary is deducted, they won't work on holidays and Sundays and will start looking for other job opportunities. How should we address this issue?

Please advise.

Regards,
Tabassum

These are issues that may get fermented, leading to industrial disputes if not handled at the right time. If the workers work on Sundays/holidays, they have to be given a compensatory holiday. You can regulate the compensatory off by stating that any holiday worked or any comp off earned shall be availed within one/two months.

The claim that employees get sick on every outstation work cannot be allowed. There cannot be separate rules for those who conduct outstation tours and those who are permanently stationed in the office. Similarly, being away from one's native place or family is not a matter for the company. As far as the organization is concerned, the functioning of the organization is paramount. If employees wish to be in their native places, they can opt for that but after leaving the company. If you allow such demands, why wouldn't you expect a demand that the company itself should be shifted to their native place!

Today's job market is highly competitive, such that if employees leave, the employer will lose nothing but will easily find a replacement. However, once an employee loses their job, finding a similar job elsewhere in the same industry becomes challenging because all employers, at least within the same industry, know each other, allowing for cross-references about any employee. This can easily reveal the reasons behind why someone left a company or why they were let go. Try to convince your employees about this reality. I believe that an informal talk followed by an official communication will serve the purpose.

Regards,

Madhu.T.K

It has been observed that some staff members are reporting late for duty and it is adversely affecting the functioning of the medical college and hospital. As per the Management’s instruction, the working hours for medical college and hospital are from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. If anybody coming late for three days in a month, his or her salary for one day will be deducted.

The Management has taken a very serious view on this issue. Henceforth it has been decided that everybody will sign the attendance register soon after arrival in Office. The attendance register will be collected from each department at 9.30 am. Any staff member coming after 9.30 am has to report to HR Department for attendance. If any staff member has not signed the attendance register by 11.00 am, he will be marked absent and that will be treated as absent without leave and salary will be deducted for that day.

All faculty members are also requested to get the leave approved in advance except in emergency, failing which it will be treated as absent without leave and salary will be deducted.

This is for your information and strict compliance.

Kindly suggest circulating a leave circular stating that employees cannot avail more than 1.66 days of leave in a month.

Thank you.