Employee Absconding: How Can We Prevent It from Happening Again?

Dear All, I have faced a problem regarding employee absconding. Last week, one of my employees, a female, went absconding after receiving her salary. It has been a week since she stopped coming to work. This is the second such case in the company, and I want to prevent it from happening in the future.

Kindly suggest a resolution for this issue. Please guide me on the proper way to resolve this problem.

Regards,
Chetan Thorat
HR Executive

Why is there a specific comment as: ?

Absconding: Gender Differences

How does a female employee absconding differ from a male employee?

To avoid such cases of absconding, there is no foolproof solution, but a proactive approach and involvement with the employee through formal and informal channels shall be helpful to reduce such cases.

Addressing Absconding Issues

To address this issue of absconding, your management has to review the entire organizational culture, supervisor-subordinate relationship, communication policy, and office environment. Create, promote, and encourage communication from employees to the HR department.

Retention Strategies

Strategically, withhold incentive payout to a quarterly or half-yearly basis to retain employees for a predictable period. Even with a good office environment, friendly work culture, and promising opportunities, those employees who resort to restless job-hopping or a careless attitude towards work culture by absconding at fancy are good riddance to bad rubbish.

Regards

Mr. Hussain is very much right in his approach. You should also ensure that employees feel a safe working environment. Here are some points to keep in mind for improvement:

- Nobody should feel job insecurity.
- Nobody should be underpaid, especially do not offer less salary to people who are in need of a job at the point of hiring.
- People should not suffer from office politics.
- These days, generally, girls are suffering from bad behavior from their bosses. It could be any type of harassment like abusive language, mental torture, or unnecessary work pressure (whether work is there or not or less work). Also, see whether the manager is feeling insecure because of his/her junior's great performance. The manager can also feel job insecurity, and in this scenario, the manager may not let the junior do their work properly. This will affect the employee mentally, and they may leave the organization without informing anybody.

- Every quarter, please distribute some forms in which employees can share their problems related to their jobs, manager, salary issues, etc. Ask employees not to sign the form and put it in a box. Please keep the box in a safe place where people cannot see or maybe in the HR department.

- This way, you will get to know exactly what employees are struggling with.

Regards,
Priyanka Jain

This problem of absconding from work should be dealt with at the time of joining the employee through communication. During the induction, it should be made very clear to the new joiner(s) that if the employee does not report to work within a week and without a valid explanation to the immediate Reporting Manager/HRD, it will be assumed that he/she has left the job. Also, actions that will be taken against such an employee should be clearly stated.

You can mention the same in the Appointment Letter so that it will be accepted and binding on the employee.

The above enables the employee to know what action will be taken against him/her, and since it will be accepted, it can be used in a court of law if required.

Further, if the employee does not return within a week and without providing a proper explanation, you can send them a notice to provide an explanation. Further, a Reminder Notice and then a Final Notice of Termination if required.

This is an area where we have to be strict to curb the issue and ensure that other employees don't follow it, and there should be stress on fact-finding. In a few cases, we can also go for Employee Counselling.

Regards,
Sumeet

The main reason for leaving a job without informing is that employees are not experiencing a conducive and positive work environment within the organization. Perhaps they harbor negative feelings towards the organization. Therefore, it is essential to improve the work environment and find solutions.

I am working in an API manufacturing company, and we also face such problems here. Generally, we follow the same procedure as mentioned above by Mr. Sumit. I agree with him that HR should include a separate clause in the appointment letter for this purpose. With this clause, the employee will be bound to the terms, and he/she will think twice before going on leave without approval/information.

Regards,
Mayank Joshi

This is funny indeed. Are we saying that all industries are similar and face similar problems? Guys, it's about time we start relating ourselves to the industry we belong to. The global GYAAN does not work anymore and honestly, I fail to see standardization anywhere!!

Root Cause Analysis

1. Chetan, what industry do you belong to?
2. What were the causes that you can think of?
3. What does your HR policy say (regarding ABSCONDING employees)?
4. Did you follow up? To what extent?
5. Was there a contract signed?

How seriously does her action impact the organization? Did the HR set expectations well?

Look, without any further gyaan let me explain the truth - real-time, ATTRITION (voluntary/involuntary) is a natural process and cannot be eradicated. The best way to reduce it is to create BRAND LOYALTY amongst your employees. So during induction, please ensure a proper expectation is set with the new hire, ensure that the support of the mentor and the support staff is actually followed the way it was explained during induction.

Cheerio!

In a similar case, about 15-18 years ago, what we did was we first inquired about his whereabouts from his colleagues in the office. When nothing substantial came up, we contacted the absconder's family members. They also did not know where he was! The family members lodged a police complaint. After waiting for some time, we served an official notice asking the absconding employee to report to duty immediately. Even after two weeks, there was no reply. Family members also did not know where he is. Then we were forced to give notice through two newspapers - one in the vernacular language and another in English - which have the largest circulation in that district. But even with this, there was no response. After waiting for six months, lodging a police complaint, and informing the family members, the company was forced to remove him from the rolls.

Till today, his whereabouts are not known, not even to his family members, who were inconsolable!

Regards,
M.J. Subramanyam, Bangalore

I have faced a problem regarding employee absconding. Every company has this issue; it is not only in your company. Last week, one of my employees absconded, and the main thing is she is a female employee. What is the big deal in gender? Based on the way you have mentioned it, it is understood that you are very much aware that the employee will stop coming. When the salary is done, from the next day she is not coming. For this problem, 1 week is over. Of course, she has worked for the month. Maybe if she resigns, you will not relieve her, or you will not pay her salary, so she waited for the salary to be credited. So kindly suggest a resolution for this problem as it is the second case in the company, and I want it to stop forever.

- Please answer the following:

• What made the first person abscond?

• What analysis have you done to understand the reason?

• If you understood the reason, what are the corrective measures?

• What is the reason for the second issue?

• Please analyze all these factors; you will be able to get a solution.

So please suggest/guide me the proper way to resolve this problem.

In this context, we can say that no one can read an absconder's mind to know what he or she wants to achieve by this act. For example, a few years ago, one of our officers absconded after borrowing a significant amount of money from the company, colleagues, and neighbors. Many reasons could be behind such behavior. What should HR do in this regard?

Regards,
Mayank Joshi

One more point I would like to add here as a reason for absconding from a job is a lack of job satisfaction due to the job profile, non-cooperation from the team and seniors, and excessive humiliation.

Regards,
Sumeet

The Attitudinal Problem in Employee Retention

It is all an attitudinal problem and nothing more. Whatever HR policies you implement, whatever systems you bring in, it is a matter of an individual's mindset. In my 24 years of HR experience, I have seen that employees are always calculative. Before they make such a decision, they calculate the pros and cons. If the potential loss is not significant, they decide to abscond. They wait for their salary to be deposited; they may have already collected their annual LTA, education allowance, etc., before the salary itself (as usual every year).

Challenges in Collecting Notice Period Dues

Now, how will you collect their notice period dues (whether it is one month or three months)? You cannot touch their PF and Gratuity claims. If you do not pay, they know how to collect it from you.

Limited Options for Employers

On the other hand, as an employer, you have limited options. You can inform the new employer about the candidate and mention that the employee has not been properly relieved. Some companies do not even bother to insist on a relieving order. In some cases, these individuals may even go abroad. Unless there is a criminal case or something similar, obtaining a visa is not a problem. Today, there is a huge demand for manpower.

Changing Attitudes Towards Employment

I recently read in the newspaper "The Hindu" that candidates with arrears in their exams are not a barrier to employment. This indicates that employers are willing to hire such candidates.

What I am trying to convey is that people have become more self-centered. If offered a slightly higher salary elsewhere, they do not hesitate to leave and join the new company.

Salary Considerations

Someone suggested, "Analyze whether you are paying a good salary," etc. I do not agree with this. As an employer or MD, you run a business, and there are overheads to consider. Salaries should be set based on the position and the responsibilities of the individual. You cannot spend money extravagantly and keep increasing salaries without considering your overhead costs.

In my company, attrition also occurs. I am aware that our competitors pay more than we do. However, this does not mean I should match their salaries. I focus on our company's strengths, which I always leverage. Employees who are solely interested in money will always prioritize financial gains, regardless of other efforts.

Conclusion: Protecting Company Interests

In conclusion, protect the company's interests by sending formal communication to such employees and express a genuine interest in having them return. If they still do not respond to your letters, let them go.

Regards,
Balaji

Dear Chetan,

First of all, let me share an experience with you.

Once, one of my clients asked me to draft and issue a warning letter to one of its employees who was reportedly absconding with some cash belonging to a customer and some other company property. Additionally, his phone had been switched off since then. Due to not knowing what to feel, I requested them to first send a letter on the company letterhead to the current and permanent address of that employee, expressing concern about the employee's health. We stated that we (the company) were worried as the employee had not reported to work for the last few days without informing anyone. We requested the employee to inform us about their well-being within 7 days through any means possible.

After 2 days, I received a response from the client. The father of the employee called and, with a heavy voice, informed them that his son had died in an accident on the same day while returning from work. The employee left behind a 3-month-old baby boy and a wife whom he had married 1.5 years earlier. His father also mentioned that before passing away, the employee had instructed him to return all the company property safely. The client was deeply moved by receiving the letter from the company and thanked them for showing such sensitivity towards the employee.

This incident deeply affected both me and the client. Since then, I have been recommending the following course of action to every client in case of an employee absconding:

1. Issue a letter inquiring about the well-being of the employee or, if possible, attempt to ascertain through any means available if there has been any unfortunate incident.

2. Following this, after providing a reasonable opportunity for the employee to inform about any unforeseen circumstances or ensuring that nothing untoward has occurred, issue a warning letter. This letter should specify the time period of non-reporting and request the employee to report immediately. Failure to do so will lead to the presumption that the employee is no longer interested in continuing employment with the company.

3. If the employee fails to report for duties even after the warning, issue another warning letter giving them 7 days to provide a reason as to why their services should not be terminated. Subsequently, after affording the employee an opportunity to defend themselves, the company may decide, considering the explanation provided, whether to take appropriate action. It is essential to note that a copy of all warning letters should be sent to the local labor commissioner to demonstrate the company's genuine intentions.

The essence of all this is not to assume an employee has absconded without a valid reason, regardless of when the employee began being absent. Unfortunate events can happen to anyone at any time.

Please feel free to reach out to me for any further clarification on any aspect.

Regards

Cases of absconding are a problem attributed mainly to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, personnel behavior, and work culture. Many HR professionals feel that merely following procedures and processes on recruitment, induction training, and compensations would be enough for employees to be retained in the organization. I believe that employees should be scrutinized to understand the factors mentioned above.

Thanks and regards,
Bijay

Whatever Priyanka Jain has written is very correct. Please keep it in mind. Apart from this, you have to provide counseling to female employees, address their grievances, and work towards resolving them.

With regards,

V. Subbarao
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]