How Can We Prevent Employees from Absconding Without Notice? Seeking Advice and Solutions

Preventing Employee Absconding

Kindly provide me with any suggestions on how to avoid employees absconding without any intimation and what actions can be taken against absconded employees.

With regards,
Sangeetha

In order to avoid employees absconding, you should recognize them as contributors to the goals of your organization. To achieve this, pay them a good salary (which is essential to motivate anyone, including trainers or psychologists who often discuss motivation theories, improving the quality of resources, and retaining manpower), offer attractive career progression opportunities, and create a wonderful working environment.

Regarding the second question, I don't have a definitive answer because we cannot force an employee to stay once they have decided to leave. It is their fundamental right to go wherever they choose. If we consider the losses incurred by the company when a trained employee leaves without a replacement, I would classify this as a recruitment error. Just like any decision that may later result in a loss, the risks associated with manpower recruitment, selection, or retention should also be acknowledged.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

You cannot avoid this situation when an employee wants to abscond. However, you can minimize the incidence of absconding by taking a few precautions as outlined below:

1. The first precaution is to be exercised at the time of recruitment itself.
2. Try to ascertain either during your pre-interview conversation with the candidate or during the interview whether they genuinely need a job and are not just fence-sitters.
3. Ensure that the candidate aligns with the job requirements and the organizational work culture, and that they appreciate the nature of the job being offered.
4. Maintain a motivating work environment by fostering harmony in interpersonal relations within the office.
5. Review the employees' salary packages to determine if it could be a contributing factor to absconding.

Implementing the above measures could potentially reduce the incidence of absconding. Hope this information is helpful.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
In-House HR & IR Advisor

Dear All, thank you for your reply.

Advice Needed on Employee Absconding

Kindly advise me on the following: An employee has been trained for a particular project for 3 to 4 months, and when the project is about to start, they have absconded without any prior information. What kind of action can be taken against them?

With regards,
Sangeetha

Hello! Thanks for your reply. Kindly advise me on the following: An employee has been trained for a particular project for 3 to 4 months, and when the project is about to start, they have absconded without any prior information. What kind of action can be taken against them?

With regards,
Sangeetha

It appears that your company does not have any policy in dealing with absenteeism. It is advisable to frame a policy or to follow the procedure, if any, laid down in the contract of service. However, keeping in view the brief details furnished by you about the case, I can say that you can send a communication in writing asking the absent employee to report for duty, specifying a date by which he should resume duty.

On his resumption of duty, ask him to explain his unauthorized absence. If his explanation is not satisfactory, inform him so and warn him not to repeat this behavior in the future, failing which he will render himself liable for disciplinary action. If he does not report for duty, send him another letter advising him to resume work immediately. If he is still absent from duty, send him a notice that he has voluntarily abandoned his job, and thereafter send him a final notice to that effect.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
In-House HR & IR Advisor

As per the legal HR Policy, if you are spending any amount on an employee to enhance their skills (e.g., sending them abroad, providing training, etc.), you are eligible to ask the employee to sign a bond for 1 or 2 years. Please proceed with asking the employee to sign a bond so that this kind of situation can be avoided.

Note: Kindly consult your legal consultant for more details.

Regards,
Ram Chauhan
Dy. HR Manager

Dear Sangeetha,

1. During the interview, ask about their future plans and family background in detail.
2. Determine if they are genuinely interested in the job.
3. Assess their adaptability.
4. Maintain a consistent relationship with employees.
5. Ensure they feel valued within the company.
6. Confirm their satisfaction with their salary.

I trust that the above points will be beneficial to you.

Regards,
Soundarya
Executive - HR,
Cistron Infotek.

Mr. Madhu has given a very good explanation of your situation. Furthermore, after two or three recall letters, you can simply strike his name from the company muster roll; you cannot do anything more than this. You cannot force a person to stay with you; it is the motivation, good salary, career progress, and sense of belongingness to the organization that can keep them attached.

Dear All,

Thanks for your reply. Kindly advise me on the following:

An employee has been trained for a particular project for 3 to 4 months, and when the project is about to start, they have absconded without any prior information. What kind of action can be taken against them?

With regards,
Sangeetha

Please carefully examine what prompted the employee to abscond after being trained for the project. Identify whether it is related to salary, the work environment, lack of confidence, or other factors. Remember, you cannot force the employee to work for you; instead, seek their perspective to comprehend the situation.

Madhu.T.K has provided you with the choices/options you have post-absconding of the employee. However, as Saji mentioned, have you done any exercise to check the possible reasons for this situation? Also, is this a one-off situation or is this happening with many employees? Based on your clarifications, this seems more likely.

Don't you think your line "employee has been trained for a particular project for 3 to 4 months and when the project is about to start they have absconded without any prior information" possibly is a giveaway of some deeper cause/malaise? One possibility that I can see is: the employee must have gathered some info during the training that he/she may have thought to be either contrary to what may have been told to him/her earlier or may have felt a situation developing that Madhu TK mentioned [project being canceled].

Unless you go to the root of the problem, chances are more likely that you will end up resolving the problem through trial and error rather than a focused solution-oriented approach.

All the best.

Regards,
TS