Ivar’s Soup Manufacturing plant wanted a better way to manage attendance at their location. While there were no rampant tardies or absences among the employees, management wanted a more consistent way to measure attendance issues through a point system. In addition, they wanted a more unbiased and uncomplicated method to let employees know when there is a potential issue. Finally, management understood there are times when things happen outside an employee’s control, like snow or school closures. Therefore, they wanted the ability to be flexible under predetermined conditions. They turned to Time Equipment Company for help.
Solution
An effective way to measure attendance problems is to implement a point system that rewards workers for positive attendance habits and identifies negative attendance trends. Implementing a point system through existing time and attendance software can be a simple solution.
On a personnel level, implementing a point system encourages employees to pay more attention to attendance rules and procedures to increase good behavior and reduce infractions. Additionally, workers can be confident that every employee is treated fairly, uniformly, and impartially. Employees can be rewarded or disciplined according to the company’s attendance policies which build employee-employer relations, trust, and communication.
On a management level, a point system records attendance activity allowing supervisors to see the bigger picture. Managers can identify attendance trends in their group, department, or team. They then reinforce positive behavior or appropriately discipline attendance problems. Over time, a point system can build an employee’s attendance history, contributing in part to an employee’s performance review or professional development plan.
Time Equipment Company customized its points and attendance system to integrate with its current time and attendance platform.
Ivars selected various point values for an Unexcused Tardy, Unexcused Absent, and a No Call No Show. Because attendance is directly related to the point system, it allows for easy notification to the supervisor. Once an employee exceeds a designated point value, an email is sent to the supervisor. They then choose from preconfigured templates to communicate to the employee their status and what they need to do to improve their standing.
Advantages
The advantages of using an attendance policy with a point system integrated into your time and attendance system include the following:
- Reduces labor costs by lowering absenteeism. A point system serves as a numerical representation of an employee’s attendance habits. Many employees who focus on their attendance behaviors will want to improve by reducing late arrivals and absences, and these positive changes will be reflected in their point totals.
- Fairly applies and enforces attendance policies. Because the point system automatically tabulates an employee’s point balance, the attendance system remains impartial throughout the organization.
- Identifies attendance trends. Employees who continuously incur attendance infractions can be easily identified for manager intervention.
- Provides historical recordkeeping and reporting of employee attendance habits. Organizations wishing to track attendance for a performance review or professional development reasons can readily do so.
- Encourages communication between managers and employees concerning attendance issues. Employees are more likely to communicate extenuating circumstances with managers when they know the point system monitors their attendance, helping managers gauge who is absent and why.
How can we help?
Attendance problems can affect labor costs, morale, and productivity of even the healthiest organization. Implementing a point system through existing time and attendance software can be a simple way to track and report negative attendance trends and reinforce positive behaviors, helping reduce labor costs and improve workforce management to benefit the organization’s bottom line. Time Equipment Company can incorporate your attendance policies into its world-class time and attendance system.
To learn how Time Equipment Company can incorporate your attendance policies into its world-class time and attendance system, contact us at sales@timeequipment.com or 800-997-8463.
