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As a small enterprise proprietor, you want workers to reliably present up able to work their scheduled shifts. However what occurs when folks begin getting in late, lacking shifts, or often requesting days off? That’s when having an worker attendance coverage is useful.
Attendance insurance policies are instruments that provide help to educate your group about what you take into account a one-off absence or absenteeism, which suggests often lacking work for unjustified causes. They need to additionally embrace details about all of your inner processes and go away insurance policies so everybody is evident about expectations.
Worker attendance touches nearly each side of your online business. That’s why it’s vital to have an all-in-one HR platform like Homebase that will help you simplify time monitoring, scheduling, payroll, and worker efficiency. Plus, our platform can retailer your inner insurance policies and make them simply accessible for group members. So, let’s discover all the things it’s best to embrace in your coverage.
What’s an worker attendance coverage?
An worker attendance coverage is a doc that accommodates a set of tips, insurance policies, processes, and penalties relating to work attendance. Normally, it outlines enterprise expectations for scheduling, punctuality, and go away requests.
Crew members ought to have entry to this coverage as quickly as they be a part of in order that they know the best way to handle days off, absences, or tardiness. And small enterprise worker attendance insurance policies might be divided into sections that:
- Listing all of your totally different attendance-related paperwork like tardiness or late-for-work insurance policies
- Set inner expectations while you outline attendance and absences
- Clarify the best way to report absences or tardiness to supervisors
- Share the variety of attendance incidents which can be permitted
- Define the results of coverage violations
- Point out the best way to entry schedules and request shift modifications
- Reinforce communication tips
Professional tip: Create, replace, share, and reference your worker attendance coverage often to encourage your group to observe office guidelines.
Why are worker attendance insurance policies vital for small companies?
Small companies want worker attendance insurance policies — and never solely as a result of they foster accountability. Additionally they:
- Enhance pay accuracy. Your worker attendance coverage ought to go hand-in-hand along with your time monitoring course of so everybody will get paid appropriately for the hours they labored. And when you use an all-in-one HR platform like Homebase, you’ll be able to overview your workers’ ins and outs and breaks and pay them straight by means of the identical app.
- Guarantee equity. Insurance policies provide help to deal with all workers equally and maintain them accountable to the identical requirements. When you could have all of the do’s and don’ts written down on paper with clear procedures, you’ll be able to’t unconsciously favor anybody.
- Aid you meet enterprise targets. Folks must be working at your small enterprise and caring for prospects so you’ll be able to meet your gross sales targets. However you could monitor attendance for extra causes than simply to see who’s engaged on a given day — you can too use data to tell staffing selections. As an example, Homebase allows you to view or export worker timetables and attendance data.
- Keep compliant with labor legal guidelines. Having an worker attendance coverage isn’t necessary. However, relying on your online business sort and the state the place you’re positioned, you would possibly want to keep up correct data of worker attendance for compliance.
The place do small companies normally retailer worker attendance insurance policies?
Many small companies retailer these sorts of insurance policies in a giant binder with a label on the duvet that claims: The Worker Handbook. However having a bodily copy is inconvenient, arduous to replace, and straightforward to misplace or harm. A cloud-based worker handbook is a a lot better different.
For those who select to make use of Homebase to trace worker attendance, you’ll get entry to HR and compliance specialists who can overview your insurance policies and procedures to make sure you’re abiding by the rules that apply to you. Plus, Homebase simplifies hiring and onboarding. When you welcome a brand new worker, they’ll mechanically get a welcome packet with all the things they should know to reach their place, together with:
- Paperwork they should e-sign and full like direct deposit paperwork, in addition to W-4, W-9, and I-9 varieties
- An worker handbook
- Inner insurance policies and procedures
- Details about particular coaching programs, each required and optionally available
- An outline of their position and duties
You may then entry all signed worker paperwork inside your Homebase account — and really feel comfy understanding they’re safely saved.

Supply: https://joinhomebase.com/hr-compliance/
Caption: Digitize your paperwork. Use Homebase to maintain all of your worker paperwork in the identical place.
The important thing parts of an worker attendance coverage
Worker attendance insurance policies are detailed paperwork that designate all attendance-related issues. To create one which’s complete and straightforward for workers to navigate, use these parts as a template:
- Absence monitoring and documentation
- Depart insurance policies
- Schedules, shift modifications, and additional time
- Communication and coverage enforcement
- Lodging and exceptions
- Process for critiques, suggestions, and updates
1. Absence monitoring and documentation
The primary act of each film units the foundations of the world you’re about to discover. So, the primary a part of your worker attendance coverage ought to clarify the foundations of your online business. Outline your attendance expectations, clarify the which means of absence with out official go away (AWOL), and state the intention and scope of the doc.
Inside this part, you must also cowl the way you’ll measure worker efficiency, in addition to the potential penalties if folks fail to conform. Total, the doc ought to invite them to seek out, learn, and observe processes to keep away from having a poor attendance file.
It’s vital that you simply construct processes for each leave-related motion. All of us have unconscious biases and would possibly find yourself being extra relaxed with sure workers over others, relying on our relationship with them. So, monitoring absences in a documented and standardized method reduces the possibilities of making intestine selections and ensures you deal with folks pretty and equitably. And an automatic system can save the time you’d in any other case need to spend transcribing attendance data, which reduces human error and eliminates the opportunity of dropping or deleting recordsdata.
We suggest utilizing an answer like Homebase so workers can monitor their clock ins and outs — together with breaks — and attendance from any good system utilizing a safe PIN code. That method, their hours might be securely recorded in a dashboard that supervisors can approve or edit straight from the app. They’ll then use that info to pay their group straight by means of Homebase or a built-in payroll integration.

Supply: https://app.joinhomebase.com/daily_roster
Caption: Use a safe time clock app and preserve digital attendance data with Homebase.
2. Depart insurance policies
Right here’s the place you clarify all of the totally different go away insurance policies, what every sort entails, and the best way to request days off. This part ought to hyperlink out to related paperwork and embrace info relating to:
- Sick go away. Everybody can doubtlessly get sick or injured, so give workers clear tips on what to do when that occurs. Clarify what number of sick days they’re entitled to based mostly on seniority, position, legal guidelines and rules, and the specifics of your online business.
- Trip time. The variety of days off group members can profit from for journey or leisure relies on native legal guidelines, inner tips, tenure, and their place. Clearly point out what number of trip days every particular person will get and the best way to request them.
- Private days off. Folks can take private days to deal with issues like administrative appointments or taking their children or pets to the physician. Write the quantity that you simply supply workers and in the event that they’re paid or unpaid.
- Bereavement go away. State what number of days off your workers can take to mourn the lack of their family members and the best way to request them. Sadly, this type of go away normally can’t be deliberate forward, so you should definitely have a course of in place to cowl their shifts. In keeping with the Honest Labor Requirements Act (FLSA), you’re not required to make bereavement go away paid, nevertheless it’s and type greatest observe.
- Parental go away. In keeping with the Household and Medical Depart Act (FMLA), organic and adoptive mother and father can take as much as 12 weeks of unpaid go away to present delivery and/or look after a brand new child. You additionally want to ensure they’ll have their jobs again as quickly as their go away is over. Some states have particular rules about paying for this type of go away, so you’ll be able to ask Homebase’s HR specialists for recommendation.
- Medical go away. This falls beneath the identical rules as parental go away (as much as 12 weeks of unpaid day off), nevertheless it’s used to maintain sick or injured members of the family or their private medical wants.
- Particular leaves. This consists of jury obligation, in addition to spiritual or navy leaves. The FLSA doesn’t require you to pay for this type of day off, however you’ll be able to set up your personal inner tips.
3. Schedules, shift modifications, and additional time
Use this part to share expectations and rules relating to schedules, additional time, and shift changes. For instance, listing the variety of hours full-time and part-time workers are anticipated to work and the way a lot additional time they’re allowed to do.
- Schedules. Clarify in the event that they’re fastened or versatile, the place to entry them, and the best way to request modifications.
- Shift modifications. Share the method of the best way to swap shifts with coworkers and get managerial approval.
- Additional time. If your online business permits additional time, embrace your inner tips, the hourly price, month-to-month limits, and the way you monitor it.

Supply: https://joinhomebase.com/employee-scheduling/
Caption: Schedule shifts and overview who’s working every day totally free on the Homebase app.
4. Communication and coverage enforcement
This part is usually geared toward supervisors and managers because it normally outlines:
- How and when to say the coverage. This will occur throughout the first weeks of coaching, each time somebody is late, with periodic reminders in group chats, and through efficiency evaluations.
- What to do when somebody doesn’t comply. Every enterprise has its personal inner processes for this, however normally, it’s best to:
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- Appropriate the worker the primary time it occurs with a verbal notification.
- Discuss to the worker about what’s inflicting them to be late or absent if it’s change into a recurring problem. Add a written assertion and a signed notification to their file.
- Give you another method to assist them keep in step with their schedule, for instance, providing them part-time hours as a substitute of full-time, making shift modifications, or suggesting a short interval of go away.
- If their conduct turns into constant absenteeism, take disciplinary motion and rent somebody new.
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- When to take disciplinary motion. Many companies provide you with a factors system to evaluate penalties based mostly on tardiness, not exhibiting up as soon as, or absenteeism. Listing all of the infractions and assign factors to every one. Decide which rating means you’ll let the particular person go and rent somebody new.
To encourage folks to observe the foundations, remind group members about your coverage commonly. As an example, while you rent somebody new, they’re most likely anticipated to learn and study a bunch of latest processes in a brief time period — and that may be overwhelming. So, you’ll be able to’t assume a brand new worker will bear in mind all the things you talked about or taught them throughout the first week. When administration often refers again to their attendance coverage, in addition they:
- Promote readability and guarantee everybody absolutely understands it.
- Assure all group members have the identical info, so you’ll be able to maintain them to the identical requirements.
- Cowl your bases, keep compliant with native legal guidelines and rules, and invite workers to higher perceive their labor advantages.
- Construct belief between managers and workers. The extra clear you’re along with your insurance policies, the extra possible folks might be to worth and belief you.
For those who use an all-in-one HR platform like Homebase, the group communication app allows you to shout people out for being attendance coverage champions. And such reminders and acknowledgments encourage others to emulate the identical conduct.

Supply: https://joinhomebase.com/team-communication/
Caption: Rejoice group wins and reinforce enterprise expectations and values with the Homebase group communication app.
5. Lodging and exceptions
Remember to define the necessity for lodging for workers with particular necessities in your attendance coverage. For instance, let’s say you rent an individual with a incapacity that should do bodily remedy each day at 12:00 pm, however your afternoon shift begins at midday. You possibly can permit them to begin their shifts at 2pm as a substitute.
You may additionally have to make lodging for folks as a consequence of spiritual beliefs or medical circumstances. Clarify how they need to request these changes and the processes that managers ought to use to approve them in an unbiased method.
And if you end up having to make the identical sort of lodging again and again, add it as an attendance coverage exception. Then, embrace a longtime course of for requesting every one. Another exceptions that you simply would possibly have to account for are:
- Further unpaid trip time
- Pressing private days off
6. Process for critiques, suggestions, and updates
The worker attendance coverage is a dwelling doc — it isn’t a one-off process you’ll be able to merely cross off of your to-do listing. As an alternative, provide you with a course of to make sure you view and replace it commonly based mostly on worker suggestions, classes realized, and new rules.
The second your insurance policies really feel outdated and cease reflecting actuality, folks will cease taking note of them. For instance, in case your go away coverage says workers have to request trip days one month upfront, however in actuality, you want two months to prepare your rosters and discover replacements, it’s best to modify your coverage.
Ought to you could have an worker attendance coverage?
Even small companies want worker attendance insurance policies in place to make sure they monitor workers efficiency in a good and well-documented method.
And making a doc that outlines all your enterprise insurance policies relating to punctuality, schedules, and go away is simpler than you assume. Not less than when you’re utilizing Homebase.
An all-in-one software like Homebase connects you with a group of HR specialists who can provide you recommendation in your worker attendance coverage and share examples you’ll be able to take inspiration from. Then, you’ll be able to host your completed doc inside a digital worker handbook and use the identical app to trace your group’s hours, schedule shifts, pay their salaries, and chat with them.
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