How To Improve Employee Attendance and Boost Their Productivity?

Enhance employee attendance and supercharge their productivity just by following the ways and attendance management software mentioned in the blog. 

For companies, it might not be a big issue if an employee is on leave for a day. But what if it becomes a regular thing? This might affect the bottom lines. And in desperation, managers might start micromanaging, leading to a not-so-positive work environment. 

This goes without saying that attendance is necessary to keep employee productivity and profits soaring. But frequent absences can cause a completely opposite effect. Attendance and employee productivity are related, so devising methods and ways for both to stay high is a priority. 

Read this blog to learn how to improve employee attendance and increase productivity. 

Why is Attendance Important?

Attendance is of paramount importance for both employees and employers. Punctuality on employees’ part will boost productivity and facilitate the smooth functioning of operations. Poor attendance can cause:

• Punctual and dedicated employees get discouraged when having to carry out the duties of those who are not. At some time, the efficient employee might become demoralised due to the chronic absenteeism of others, which might lead to obstructed workflow. 
• Naturally, employees who indulge in frequent leaves will find it hard to keep up with the company’s work pace and processes. 
• Lower productivity caused by absenteeism may hinder project progress, leading to work delays and missed deadlines. 
• Shortage of employees increases the cost of substitute employees hired or existing employees working overtime to fill the gaps. 
• Attendance falls under workplace ethics. Continuous absenteeism sends the wrong moral message to all the concerned organisational members. 

So, what are some of the most effective and proper ways to boost employee attendance without compromising productivity? Because presenteeism is more harmful than absenteeism.

Presenteeism costs businesses 10x more than absenteeism (GCC, 2016) While absent staff members cost businesses about $150 billion annually, presenteeism costs 10 times that!  What is presenteeism?   Presenteeism is when employees are physically at work but cannot perform their best as they’re sick, burned out, unmotivated, etc.

Ways To Improve Employee Attendance

Here are some ways to keep employees feeling productive and motivated and drive them to attend the office timely and regularly. 

1. Set Clear Expectations

The workplace environment has a major role to play in employee absences. So, the very first step would be to set clear and realistic expectations for the employees. Communicate attendance policies, goals and targets to achieve weekly, monthly or yearly, and standards to maintain.

Also, ensure that the teams understand the consequences of poor attendance. Explain how attendance plays a major role in their performance, quality, customer satisfaction and team morale.

2. Create a Clear Attendance Policy

HRs are constantly wondering how to improve employee attendance at work when they see too many employees taking leave. The first administrative step is to draft and implement a clear attendance policy. The company’s attendance policy must comprehensively describe the scope and expectations of the workers.

Every year in the U.S. $36.4 billion is lost from employee absenteeism

Not to forget that the policy should also state the procedure for applying for leave and the consequences of poor attendance. 

3. Identify Causes of Poor Attendance

Employee absence is not always an attendance problem but often has a deeper underlying issue. If an employee needs to maintain a good attendance. Supervisors must determine the root cause of poor attendance.

Besides injury or illness, there are other factors, such as a dull workplace environment, tuff with fellow colleagues or managers, uneven workload, etc., which are causing employees to indulge in chronic absenteeism.

Before taking disciplinary action, it’s best to identify the reason and solve the underlying cause. Take time to determine the root cause of poor attendance so that you can take proper action under labour law.

4. Encourage Positive Attendance Behaviour

Appreciation and acknowledgement will have a bounding effect on the employees’ productivity and attendance, encouraging them to give their best at work. This will help you create a positive work environment where employees can thrive.

Creating a reward program can eliminate roadblocks, letting the employees know that their work and attendance are noticed and appreciated. This reward program can be the driving force behind the employees being punctual and regular at work. 

5. Offer Flexibility in Work Schedules

This is not feasible for all companies, but if your company can, it should offer flexibility in work schedule and location. This will organically eliminate call-offs due to unexpected personal issues. However, this flexibility should be properly documented and approved by the management so that employees can work and managers can track and monitor their schedules. 

6. Track and Analyse Attendance at Work

How can you improve employee attendance if you are not aware of their attendance? This lack of accurate data needs to be eliminated. Companies should invest in efficient attendance management software such as Trackofield. It is a necessary tool that will help you monitor attendance and analyse data automatically.

Use the attendance management system to record employee leave and attendance, including clock-in and clock-out times accurately. This system should replace manual attendance tracking methods like paper sign-in sheets. Some features that will be of great help are:

Geo-coded Attendance Marking: With this feature, employees, especially on the field, can mark their only attendance when they reach their first task location. This has three benefits- first, this will ensure employees remain punctual. Second, they won’t have to travel to the office just to mark their attendance, which can be strenuous and third, chances of buddy punching or time theft get eliminated.

Additionally, the system can even link the task list with the attendance.

40% of large employers have an outsourcing leave-management system in place, whereas 27% of small employers outsource to vendors.

Apply For Leave Remotely: Now, employees can apply for leave remotely. The leave request is visible to all immediate managers with access to the dashboard containing all relevant personnel data. This will help managers stay informed and respond to leave requests.  

Centralised Database: Store all attendance data in a centralised database accessible to HR, managers and relevant personnel. This database is vital for reporting purposes.

Easy Integration: The attendance management system can be integrated with all pre-existing software for payroll, and HRIS. This helps with streamlining data and ensures accurate payment for hours worked. 

Reporting and Analytics: The system automates monitoring, reporting and analysing data in real-time. The system generates reports that help with keeping at points which employees have been taking too many leaves, identifying patterns and trends.  

Integrating an attendance management system into your organisation’s workflow can streamline attendance tracking, reduce administrative overhead, and provide valuable insights into attendance patterns. It can be a valuable tool in your efforts to improve employee attendance.

Ensuring Productivity and Attendance Go Hand in Hand

Improving employee attendance and productivity is an ongoing process. It requires a combination of effective leadership, employee engagement, and a supportive work environment. Attendance tracking software can be your best buddy for recording and managing your employees’ attendance error-free. Following the ways listed, it can help bring about a change in employee attendance.

88% of the “best in class” companies automate their time and attendance data collection

TrackoField offers attendance monitoring software to help your company automate and streamline employee attendance. Its features like geo-sensitive attendance, visual verification and leave management amplify the productivity of the employees.

Get your demo here now.