Managing employee absenteeism in South Africa from within the workplace.

Managing employee absenteeism in South Africa is a definite issue plaguing business today, evidence shows it’s on the rise and with most absences occurring around holidays, and of course before and after long weekends.

This pattern of employee abuse negatively affects the employer firstly due to lower productivity and incomplete projects, and secondly it results in poor staff morale among those who work consistently. If left to escalate, legal proceedings waste both time and money. But with the complex labor laws protecting employee rights in South Africa, it is difficult to confidently discipline employees with attendance problems.

Step 1: Policies

The first step towards dealing with this issue is to draft a clearly written policy that specifies standards and employee requirements. Be sure to specify clearly that discipline — including termination — may result from repeated leave abuse and misuse. It is impossible to list every single potential offense but the following should be included:

  • The number of absences, the number of times coming in late, and the number of early departures, all of which exceed the attendance policy allotment.
  • Failing to get permission for leaving early or coming in late.
  • Failing to give advance notice of an absence when possible.
  • Failing to report an absence properly (attempting to hide an absence).
  • Failing to submit medical certification upon request.

Step 2: Track time accurately

To be in a position to legally prosecute or discipline employees, clear and unbiased record keeping is critical. The business owner needs to be able to prove abuse for a specific employee over time.  Good record keeping can also assist manager to recognize a problem and offer the employer time to intervene before it escalates.

However, record-keeping can be time-consuming and inaccurate if not monitored. Supervisors or team leaders are often the only people who are aware that a certain employee is absent. Identifying, confronting and resolving absence abuse is an unpleasant task, and some supervisors could be too lenient, while other might be complicit in not reporting a late or absent worker in exchange for favors, or due to friendships.

Step 3: Automate for efficiency & accuracy

An automated time and attendance tracking system allows employers to streamline and simplify timekeeping – collecting, managing and processing time records.  Automation reduces supervision costs and is the most effective way to maintain detailed, accurate and up-to-date attendance records.

The introduction of biometric identification specifically has significantly improved documentation and reporting, reduced buddy punching and ensured that policies are applied consistently and fairly for all employees.  Instant reporting allows employers to identify any patterns or trends of absence and provide backup information if legal proceedings become necessary.

Biometric systems have come a long way are now not expensive with our average system paying itself off within the first six to twelve months. You and your managers do not require extensive computing knowledge or hardware, the software is easy to install and intuitive to use, as it was designed for local conditions. Full hardware and software support manuals are provided.

i-Check Data Solutions can really help you with your time and attendance requirements. Our solutions are affordable and offer immediate results. If you would like to know more about our biometric and time and attendance services, please do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly sales consultants today!

i-Check Data Solutions has the ideal solution to manage your employee absenteeism issues. Call us today for free no obligation quote!