I know this has to be a problem that plagues everyone, employee call ins. Its always on a weekend and always some story that you know is either completely fabricated or its some what true but they could have worked around it. I seem to have the biggest problem with some of my new employees for some reason, but I also have like 1 or 2 of my more seasoned workers that your always about 50% on if there gonna call in or not. Just as a quick example I have a new inside worker, she only works a few days a week part time and in 4 weeks has already called in on 2 weekends. I am trying to think of way to try and stop these type of situations from happening as much. I thought of setting some rules that when your first hired you can only miss so much before we just automatically terminate you, but i feel that employees would use this rule to miss just under the qualifying amount. They also just may quit and I haven’t prevented anything. So does anybody have any unique ways to promote better attendance?
Quick reply, sorry for bad formatting. Here is a basic idea of ours:
A team member who has built up 6 points within any trailing 6 month period may be terminated.
Points Reason
0 If you call more than 30 minutes before your shift to let us know that you will be less than 30 min late
0.5 If you are more than 5 or less than 30 minutes late (i.e. need an override to clock in)
1 Between 30 and 60 minutes late for your shift
1 Calling off more than 4 hours before your shift without finding someone to work for you1
1.5 Calling off 1-4 hours before your shift without finding someone to work for you1
2 Calling off less than 1 hour before your shift without finding someone to work for you1
2 Not showing up for your shift, but calling by the end of the day 1
6 No call, no show may result in immediate termination
1 One point will be reduced if you bring in a valid excuse for missing work (doctors note, etc.).
For call offs, if you get the shift covered there are no points assessed. The coverage must be approved by the manager that will be working the shift that you are missing. If you do not find acceptable coverage and we have to try and cover your shift points will be assessed.
If you are sick, something comes up, etc. and you cannot work your shift what should you do?
- look at the schedule in your email
- contact people that don’t work that could work the shift for you
- Call the store ASAP to let them know that you cannot work. Many times we are busy and do not have our cell phones on us. Call the store. The manager on duty can give you names of people who may be able to work for you. Call these people. If someone (a co-worker or manager) contacts you asking if you can work, PLEASE respond back ASAP. Even if you respond back with a no, that is better than no answer at all.
There are also things that you can do to have 0.25 points removed from your total:
-If you pick up a shift from someone it will remove 0.25 points from your total. If you are switching/swapping shifts (switching days, etc.) with that person, neither person will have 0.25 points removed from their total.
-If you come in more than 1 hour early for your shift when requested by the manager
-If you pick up a shift that is added on by a manager more than 12 hours after the schedule is posted.
If you get your point total to -2.00 points you will earn 4 regular hours of vacation pay on your next paycheck.
Any call-offs on the day before, of, or directly following days listed below will be assessed double the points in the chart above.
Holidays: Superbowl, New Years Eve and Day, Christmas Eve and Day, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, Easter Sunday, 4th of July, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day.
Double reward points will be given out for any of the above days.
With us, they are responsible to get someone to switch with them that won’t be pushed into overtime, if they can’t find anyone, they have to work. Obviously if they’re actually sick or have a funeral, then those are different circumstances. For the most part, everyone is pretty good about it.
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I like this concept for sure
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Our policy is to get your shift covered and get approval or you are working I let them know at hire so we don’t have any issues. If they are sick we cannot ask them to get a cover but most of our guys are good about it and will get a shift cover.
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Well, I had another “call in” Sunday after I had asked for input on setting up a policy on this. I put call in in quotes because he never actually called a manager or the store, he texted another driver and told him to say he wouldn’t be in. We tried calling him, no answer and ended up sending him a text that he needs to work or get someone to cover his shift and he quit. This is not an untypical response, in fact, I would say this is what I would expect if from a fair share of employees if I don’t allow them any and all time off they want regardless of notification.
What you tolerate you will get more of. Not showing up is disrespectful of co-workers and unacceptable.
It is never OK.
If you can’t cover your shift it is your responsibility to get it covered.
Do it once and get a warning. Second time you are gone. Do it without calling and you are gone the first time.
With all that said, sometimes it has been the manager’s fault. He changed the schedule and did not get the word to the employee… other times a broken down car in Denver 3 hours away… so I am not saying that there are no exceptions… but the bottom line is once you let it slide everyone else sees it. They are pissed that they had to work harder even if they are not telling you about it.
You can’t allow it.
Terrorists are impossible to deal with because the threat of death means nothing to them.
Similar to the threat of getting fired.
I feel your pain, clownhair.
The solutions aren’t as simple as “don’t put up with it” or “be more selective when hiring”.
The available labor force is a serious problem for most anyone in a decent size city. Things have gotten exponentially worse in the past 6 months.
Good employees will not work for a business that does not have solid and reasonable accountability for employees. I know it can be very inconvenient to let people go especially if this kind of stuff has gotten away from you but until you get a grip on reasonable accountability you will not be able to keep the employees that you want.
Your points are well taken, but when EVERYONE is hiring employees have the upper hand. What’s to keep them from saying, “Screw that place. On to the next one”? For most, this is a remedial job that they have to work extremely hard for. If you fire them because they can’t work their scheduled shift, who loses? The business in the long run is my answer. You still need to pay out to replace/retrain and run short staffed in difficult times if this were to happen. I just don’t see this as employees will stay because they see that others are being forced to work. These kids these days are so babied that they don’t NEED to work.
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This emphatically. Many of my employees are in there early 20’s and it is insane the low levels of responsibility they have to bear. I am not even much older than them and I simply worked when I was there age and I am baffled at how the gap got so large in culpability in such a short time. I am hopeful though because I have hired a few younger kids, 16 and 17, and there work ethic is phenomenal so perhaps a new generation is emerging.
No. In the long run you have exactly backwards. If you do not fire them all your employees now know that this behavior is allowed. Short term inconvenience and cost vs long term ongoing nightmare.
I get it that you probably not go cold turkey on this but you also can not remain a hostage of your hourly help. I would suggest talking with your 3-4 most important crew and see what they think about it. Take them out for breakfast somewhere and talk it through outside of the store, away from distractions. They will be flattered to be asked and invested in the decisions reached. Launch a new policy that is clearly stated and supported by your key people. The others will fall in line.
Reading this thread makes me sad. While I have undoubtedly had more employee issues in recent years and we now spend significantly more time hiring and training, if the time ever comes where I feel that I have to put up with someone not showing up for work and not calling the store, I will absolutely be selling the business.
Agree to disagree. This depends on the age you’re hiring too. We hire at 15, have them until they go to college and basically start over with new staff and obviously fill in between. Kids don’t care, you can’t make them care. They have the upper hand
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Yup. I guess you will have to live with it.
Meh, call it whatever you want. I know in the areas we’re in, they’ll just quit. They’ll find another job 2 minutes down the road. Only a few rely on this job as income. Many ways to get the same result.
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I will admit, we do not often hire them that young and it is very frustrating when we do hire them a few years later that they seem to have learned somewhere that this kind of crap is acceptable. I am not saying that we never see it. In fact, we have had to deal with exactly this issue in the last month. When it comes up we do not accept it and things run better as a result. It is a lesson I have learned in a working life spanning 40 years since my first job in a pizza store and reinforced in the over 18 years I have owned the one I have today.
I have also raised a couple of kids (now in their 20s) so I have been around plenty of kids. I do not agree with you. You can make them care and in the end they are better for it. When you do your other employees will be happier too. Let the bad ones go down the road to those other jobs.
What you allow you will see more of.
I make it clear that it is the responsibility of the employee to get a shift covered. (of course if it is an emergency I help out) If you can’t get your shift covered, you have to work. A no show is automatic termination.
Do you have a document for this that you would be willing to share? This sounds like a good idea and I would like to copy it in hopes of addressing some issues which have become more common lately.
I second that, in writing will help…I do agree with many here that even with these rules in place, it doesnt matter.
I agree with him on this one. Ive had 3-4 employees that have worked at EVERY pizza shop in my area, they DONT care. The state gives them money so they dont care if they lose their job. Plus i had one guy file for unemployment after 2 weeks and receiving a $70 paycheck for working 2 days. I could not believe the nerve on this guy. And I cant believe they are allowed to do this. He would of received a .70 check every 2 weeks my paychex agent told me.
How expensive are kiosks?
I feel like this on a monthly basis. its sad