Absenteeism Woes: How Do You Handle High Absenteeism and Issue Warning Letters?

In our company, absenteeism is very high. We have issued a warning letter. Kindly let me know the entire procedure.

Thanks,
Mili

Yes, you will find many posts on absenteeism on the right corner as well. Before you take any strict action, I would advise you to find out what the root cause of this problem is—irregular hours/extended hours of work, heavy workload, lack of appropriate infrastructure/facilities, motivational issues, etc. Remember to look at the other side of the coin as well.

Regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi

Understanding Absenteeism and Disciplinary Actions

So far as my knowledge goes, absenteeism is a very broad subject. Disciplinary action is only for culpable absences, not for innocent absences. Culpable absence refers to employees who have a habit of being absent, while innocent absence means the reason for being absent is beyond their control, such as accidents, sickness, or other social problems.

Disciplinary Actions for Culpable Absences

The disciplinary actions for culpable absences are as follows:
1. Scolding or oral warning
2. Warning letter issued three times
3. Show-cause notice
4. Chargesheet
5. Termination letter

I believe this information should suffice for you.

Thanks & Regards,
Mehul Hansoti

I was working with manufacturing companies, and we were very particular about time and absenteeism. The first 30 minutes (8:30 AM to 9:00 AM) I spent with the absentees/latecomers. It was very strict that they should go to the shop floor after meeting me only. In my absence, another designated officer of HRD took over. After one or two times, they felt very guilty for meeting me repeatedly for the same issue. Gradually, they realized the seriousness and importance of their timely presence on the shop floor. The result was tremendous; I can say almost 100%.

Best Regards,
Sajeevan

The best possible way to address this issue is to restructure your leave policy. You can include clauses such as: two or three instances of late coming will be considered as leave, unapproved leave will be considered as Leave Without Pay (LWP), and a show cause notice and termination for unapproved leaves exceeding seven days, etc.

Thank you.