5 Ways to Handle Employee No-Call, No-Shows
byA no-call, no-show is an instance when an employee doesn’t get prior approval for missing a day off and then simply doesn’t show up or call in. In some cases, there’s a good excuse, such as a car accident. However, in most cases, a no-show requires attention from leadership.
If you’ve found yourself frequently dealing with this situation, explore these steps to develop an effective no-call, no-show policy:
In our article, you’ll learn how to effectively handle no-call, no-show scenarios in your workplace. With a focus on creating and implementing a clear policy, you will be equipped to mitigate these frustrating instances and ensure your business runs smoothly.
Key takeaways:
- Developing a comprehensive no-call, no-show policy and integrating it into the employee handbook helps in establishing clear guidelines and consequences for absenteeism.
- Consistent enforcement of the established policy is crucial to maintaining fairness and deterring employees from taking advantage.
- Improving scheduling practices and leveraging technology can simplify the process and offer flexibility to employees, reducing chances of no-call, no-shows.
- Educating new hires about the policy and the importance of adherence promotes a culture of respect for workplace rules.
- Open communication with employees can help in understanding and addressing the root causes of absenteeism, thereby preventing future occurrences.
Table of contents
- What does no-call, no-show mean?
- How can no-call, no-shows impact your business outcomes?
- Managing employee no-shows
- Benefits of implementing a no-call, no-show policy
- Conclusion
- Handling no-call, no-shows at work: FAQs
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What does no-call, no-show mean?
A no-call, no-show is when you have an employee scheduled for a shift, and they don’t show up. They also don’t call you to tell you they aren’t able to show up, so you have no way of making alternate plans to get coverage.
There are a million reasons one of your staff might no-call, no-show, including family emergencies, health issues, car accidents, communication issues, and more. Giving your employee the benefit of the doubt in the beginning is important to maintaining a supportive and successful work environment for your team.
But there are times when an employee just doesn’t call or show up simply because they don’t want to. And knowing how to manage every situation is the key to reducing no-call, no-shows for your business.
How can no-call, no-shows impact your business outcomes?
Having the right amount of staff to support your business is important, and being aware of how no-call, no-shows affect your workplace is the first step to managing the issue. Here are a few of the problems you’ll face with no-call, no-shows:
Coverage gaps
If someone was on the schedule and they don’t show up, you’re now short-staffed. Plus, if they didn’t call to let you know, there’s no way to fill the gap until you’re sure they aren’t just running late.
Between you or your manager being tied up with trying to get coverage, and the rest of your staff being down a person for the shift, it can be a disaster. You’ll face less productivity, longer lines, unhappy customers, and lowered morale.
Tension between staff members
If you have a repeat offender of no-calling and no-showing, the employees who have to cover these shifts face exhaustion and burnout. You’ll see lower morale because of the conflicts between those who aren’t reliable and those who have to make up the difference.
This is an issue that can bring down your entire company culture, and it’ll make it hard to hire great talent. So managing no-call, no-shows is important to keep your business competitive.
Increased overtime and other labor costs
No-call, no-shows drive up labor costs because you have to increase someone else’s hours to cover the absence. Not only that, if your managers are having to spend more time calling and texting to find someone to fill in the gap, or step in to work the actual shift, that costs you even more.
And if your budgeted labor hours are already maxed out, then you’ll have to pay overtime to get that shift covered, which can snowball into out-of-control costs and hit your bottom line pretty quickly.
Poor customer experience
Happy employees make for happy customers. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. When your workers are so tired from having to work more shifts because of no-call, no-shows, your customers will notice it. When your workers aren’t getting along because of no-call, no-shows, your customers will start to feel uncomfortable.
When your customers aren’t given the experience you want them to have, your business reputation and your bottom line will pay the ultimate price.
Decreased productivity and profitability
No-call, no-shows are the perfect storm. They make your reliable employees unhappy, which decreases productivity. The unhappy workers and worsening service makes customers unhappy. And that has a direct impact on your profitability.
That’s a recipe for disaster. So how do you make sure you minimize your no-call, no-shows? Learn how to manage the problem more effectively.
Managing employee no-shows
Follow these five steps to get your no-call, no-shows under control so your team and your business can thrive.
1. Get a no-call, no-show policy in place
Install a policy within your employee handbook that outlines the guidelines for missing work. It should address all absence-related questions like:
- How to request time off
- How to use personal days
- How to handle last-minute sick days
- If documentation (a signed note) is required
- How to communicate with other team members to fill your shift
- Consequences for no-call, no-shows
Once all employees know what the policy is and have signed a waiver to that effect, you can hold them accountable for no-shows. Be sure your policy outlines what a no-call, no-show is and the ramifications of missing work like this.
Tip: It may even be wise to have an employment attorney look over your policies to ensure they’re legally binding in your state.
2. Enforce the policy
Once you create your policy, you must enforce it consistently and treat all employees equally.
In some businesses, a zero tolerance policy is upheld, where one instance of not showing up for work can lead to termination immediately. Others may implement a “3-strike” process, where employees receive a written warning for not showing up to work at the first instance.
Consider these tips when enforcing policy rules:
- Pull the individual aside for a one-on-one discussion. Talk about the problem. Discuss how being late or not showing up for work affects the other employees and production.
- Discuss the importance of each employee, full-time or part-time, on meeting the needs of the customer.
- Indicate that the employer has the right to terminate the employee, no matter how valuable he or she is, as a result of the missing time.
- Ask the employee to explain the no-shows. It may be a time scheduling concern or it may be due to a lack of motivation. Ask the employee what his or her long-term goals within the company are. Then create an action plan for minimizing lost time at work.
- Establish specific consequences tied to missing time. Document every instance of the problem. Follow through with the required action you’ve outlined with the employee.
Whatever your goals are, ensure you enforce them evenly over all employees and management. Doing so sends a message that you won’t tolerate employees not reporting to work and no-call absences.
3. Improve your scheduling practices
Many employee scheduling apps now offer an easy and clear way for people to request time off, and more importantly, give them the power to fill their own shifts.
Flexibility in the workplace is a huge bonus for employees, so make it as easy as possible for them to take ownership and find a replacement if need be.
You can also implement an on-call list, which includes a list of people who have opted in to pick up extra hours.
Note: Make sure to include stipulations in your no-call, no-show policy around your software. For instance, if employees seek their own replacements, you can ask that these requests be sent to managers for approval.
4. Teach new employees the rules
It’s important to ensure new employees are informed right away about your work attendance and absences policy.
As an employer, you may wish to host an orientation or initial meeting with each new hire. For example, newcomers may spend an hour or two with the hiring manager reviewing documentation and work-related policies—including no-shows.
During this initial session, you should:
- Provide employees with information about their options for calling in sick or for days off.
- Show them how important it is for each scheduled employee to be at work on time to serve customers or maintain productivity.
- Discuss the steps for replacing an employee who may be ill.
By providing this information, not only will new employees know the rules, but they’ll understand your reasoning behind them. This may give them a greater respect for the policy.
5. Communicate with your employees
A final consideration for employers and business owners is to look at why this is happening.
Talking to your employees about the reasons behind these absences will help you prevent them in the future.
Some common reasons for no-shows could be:
- Poor communication about availability
- Lack of understanding of the rules
- Inconsistent enforcement of the rules
- Problems with scheduling
- At-home concerns
- Management and employee-relation concerns
- Company not using scheduling software
- An employee communication app has not been implemented
Benefits of implementing a no-call, no-show policy
Creating and implementing an effective strategy for employees not reporting to work will take time, but it will be worth it. Here are a few benefits you will likely see with less no-call, no-shows:
- Increased productivity and morale for coworkers
- Less wasted money on overtime and salaried workers who are getting paid for not being there
- Improved communication between managers and team members
Of course, employees get sick, have emergencies, or need days off from time to time. That’s expected. What isn’t acceptable is an employee no-show. We hope these tips help you and your team deal with the situation effectively and prevent issues in the future.
You can prevent and track employee no-shows with workforce management software
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Use employee scheduling software like When I Work to make sure your team has 24/7 access to the most up-to-date schedule. When you choose When I Work for scheduling and time tracking, you and your employees get tools that will minimize no-call, no-show, including:
- Shift confirmations so you know your team has seen the schedule
- Shift notifications and reminders to keep your employees informed of their scheduled hours
- Shift swaps and drops to help empower your staff to find their own coverage if they need it
- Time-off requests and availability preferences help you make sure you’re not scheduling an employee when they’ve told you they can’t work
- And more
Conclusion
Handling a no-call, no-show situation requires a careful blend of policy establishment, enforcement, improved scheduling practices, employee education, and effective communication.
By adopting these strategies, not only can you mitigate the issue of unexplained absences, you can also create a work environment where policies are respected and understood.
If you’re seeking assistance in improving your workforce management, consider trying When I Work, a powerful tool designed to simplify your scheduling practices, enhance communication, and ensure policy compliance in your organization. Try When I Work free for 14 days, and see the difference!
Handling no-call, no-shows at work: FAQs
What is a no-call, no-show?
A no-call, no-show refers to a situation where an employee fails to get prior approval for missing a day off and then doesn’t show up or call in to explain their absence. It’s an occurrence that usually requires attention from leadership.
Why is it important to have a no-call, no-show policy in place?
A no-call, no-show policy provides a clear framework for handling unexplained absences. It sets expectations for all employees regarding missing work and stipulates the consequences for violating these guidelines, thus encouraging accountability and minimizing the incidence of no-call, no-show situations.
How can I improve scheduling practices to handle no-call, no-show situations?
You can improve scheduling practices by adopting employee scheduling apps that provide a clear way for employees to request time off or even fill their own shifts.
Additionally, implementing an on-call list can help cover shifts in case of a no-call, no-show situation.
