Types of Absences in the Workplace That Managers Should Know

Absences are a common thing in the workplace, especially in businesses that run on shift.

Reasons for absences vary, and without clear attendance policies in place, it can be difficult to handle attendance and leaves.

In this post, we’ll talk about the most common types of absences, excused and unexcused, so you can deal with leaves better.

Excused absences

Excused absences are legitimate leaves that you need to grant approval.

Sick time

When an employee is sick and can’t perform work duties, they can take paid sick days.

But how many sick days should be given to each employee? Some businesses allocate a bank of sick days for each employee at the beginning of their employment. Some accrue one sick day for each employee every month.

Be clear about how many sick days each employee can get, and how sick days are granted. This way, your employees know they can use accrued days if they need extended sick time.

Shift workers often receive wages based on the hours worked. Financial concerns can be a big problem because they don’t receive any income for days off. They may try to go to work while being sick, causing infection or decreased productivity. If it fits your budget, you can offer some paid sick days for workers to minimize this problem.

Family and medical leave

These types of absences include maternity/paternity leave and caring for sick family members. 

Mothers can take days off to prepare for childbirth, recover from labor, and take care of the newborns. Fathers can stay at home to take care of the mothers and babies.

Employees can also be granted paid leaves for taking care of sick family members until the relatives recover.

These leaves can last weeks and months, so make sure you have some policies in place for them.

Personal time

Absences for personal time are leaves that employees find necessary for themselves.

They can take days off to recover their mental or physical health, spend time with family and friends, or have some time for themselves.

Vacation days

The number of vacation days often depends on the amount of time the employee has worked in your business. For example, senior workers can have up to 4 weeks of paid vacation, while new hires can have 1 week of paid vacation.

Employers also need to establish policies and procedures for handling vacation days. Employees need to submit requests months in advance so that employers can make arrangements and find coverage for the off-employee.

Jury duty

Serving jury duty is another reason for employers to grant leave for an employee, as the employee has no excuse to not show up at the court. 

To pay employees for this reason or receive compensation from the court, employers need to understand the local laws.

Military leave

When an employee is called to active duty, the employer has to grant covered leave for that employee. 

Employers may need to pay the full wages or salary for the employee, or adjust based on the compensation from the reserve unit. 

Some companies also offer the positions back to the employees once they return from military leave.

Bereavement or sympathy leave

This type of paid leave is granted when an employee’s relative passes away and the employee needs to take care of the funeral. 

Some companies approve more days off if the passed-away relative of the employee is a parent, spouse, or child.

Unexcused absences

Absences outside of the excused absences section may be classed as unexcused. That’s why employers need to be clear about what are considered excused absences and what not.

When an employee takes time off or days off without approval from management, they are subjected to disciplinary actions such as pay deduction, suspension, or termination.

Establish clear policies & procedures

By knowing the most common types of absences, employers can establish policies and procedures for handling leave requests and tracking attendance.

This ensures employees can take the paid time off they need while ensuring your business operations and maintaining a positive relationship between you and employees.

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