I had a manager call me today and tell me her part-time employee, who works approximately 15 hours a week, decided to stay home this week since her kids were on spring break. The manager was upset because the employee did not call or notify her that she was taking the week off. She asked me what to do with this employee.
I gave her the following instructions on how to respond to the employee.
1. Confront the Issue
The employee needs to understand that the behavior they demonstrated was not appropriate and there needs to be a formal communication with the employee. This should be a face-to-face meeting, in a formal location, like the manager’s office.
When meeting with the employee, explain why you are meeting with him/her. For example, “Sue we are meeting today to discuss the fact that you did not communicate to me that you would be taking the week off of work”.
2. Explain Your Understanding
Explain your understanding of the incident. It is a good leadership practice to give the employee the benefit of the doubt and let them give their account of the incident. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for things that happen, so giving the employee the benefit of the doubt is very important.
3. Policy Reminder
Remind the employee when the behavior expectation was communicated to them. In this situation, show the employee the attendance policy as written in the employee manual (another reason to have employees sign that they have read and understand the employee manual). This is merely a reminder of company policy and expectation for adhering to the policy.
4. Explain Why
Explain why the policy is important. This is a good time to explain why the policy is in place. For example, “Sue, when I don’t know you won’t be here, I am not able to arrange for someone to do your work in your absence”. Try to help the employee understand the ramification of their behaviors and how his/her decision affects other people.
5. Consequences
Explain what your expectations are and what the consequences will be if expectations are not met in the future. For example, “Sue this is the second time this has happened and if this happens a third time we will begin a formal disciplinary process”.
6. Document Incident
As with all issues that deal with employee performance, document the incident and keep it in the employee’s file. Make sure you document date, time and all details of the incident.
Unfortunately, some employees need more hand holding, coaching and accountability management than others. I call these “high maintenance” employees. While this is not a favored aspect of a manager’s job, it is a critical responsibility of employee oversight and performance management.
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