Professionalism in the workplace is one of the most essential requirements that a company wants from an employee. Therefore, they must be quite mindful about that so that they do not face a no call no show policy all of a sudden. Well, now you must be wondering as to what is this policy all about?
In today’s article, we will share with you some of the essential aspects of the no call no show policy so that you keep it in mind in the future. As the name suggests, this occurs when an employee is absent from work and has not notified their manager. Therefore, this policy sets expectations and explains the consequences for not showing up unannounced. So the HR department needs to form this policy to avoid unprofessional behavior from the employees.
Would you like to know how you can create this no-call no-show policy? Stay with us until the end if you want to know some of the significant aspects of this policy. In the end, you will also come to know about certain specific guidelines of a no call no show policy. Let us dig in!
What do You Mean by a No Call No Show Policy?
Since you are reading this blog, it is pretty apparent that you are not much familiar with the concept. Therefore, you must be wondering what is no-call no-show policy? Well, you are at the right place as we will discuss some of the significant aspects here.
As mentioned above, a no call no show refers to an employee who doesn’t show up for a scheduled shift. More importantly, that person does not notify his higher authorities beforehand. Therefore, it becomes problematic for the team leader to find an immediate replacement to cover the shift. Moreover, this can also cause safety issues, decrease productivity and put more strain on the remaining employees. Having this policy explains what repercussions an employee has to face for his unprofessionalism.
Working in a company entails a lot of responsibility for an employee. Therefore, if he/she needs time off due to some reasons like illness or trip or other such issues, they need to notify their team at least one week in advance. This will help their manager to plan a replacement for that particular employee.
Also read: 6 Tips to Boost Workplace Well being
How can You Create a No Call No Show Policy?
This no call no show policy often forms a part of the overall attendance policies for employees. So it establishes what you expect and the consequences for the staff members who do not follow the rule. Even though there can be emergency situations at times. For instance, an employee could get into a car accident or face death in the family. In these cases, they have to talk to their team leaders and explain the reason behind their inability to notify the team in advance. However, in deliberate cases, they might have to face the results. Now let us check out some of the steps to create this policy:
1. Establish Rules
Many companies prefer creating policies that are short and easy to read. However, it should not be the case for all the policies. Especially when we talk about no call no show policy, it needs to be comprehensive and detailed. For instance, you may mandate that any employee who is not coming to work must call their manager at least 15 minutes before the start of their shift. At times, you can also be a bit lenient. You might allow the employees to call or text their manager up to one hour after their start time.
However, the policy should include rules consisting of the initial actions that you will take if an employee does not show up for their shift. For instance, firstly you will try to reach them by phone. If you are unable to do so you have to call the people on their emergency contact list. Once you get to know the exact cause of the absence you can take action accordingly.
2. Determine Penalties for Violation of the Policy
This is the second step for creating the no call no show policy. Even though there must be certain consequences for not showing up, however, it must not be severe. For instance, if an employee violates the policy for the first time, you may choose to write them up or give some other formal reprimand. If the same employee repeats it for the second time, you can increase the penalties by adding a disciplinary meeting with HR or a one-day suspension.
Generally, companies determine penalties for termination if an employee remains absent for several days without any info. So you can give the particular employee three days before taking any major decision. Finally, if you decide to terminate the employee, for violating the policy, you have to send the employee notice of their termination.
3. Include your No Call No Show Policy into an Attendance Policy
You must keep in mind that a good no call no show policy should not be a standalone policy for your company. They should include their no-call no-show policy as part of their broader attendance policy.
A detailed attendance policy will include descriptions of your PTO and leave guidelines. In fact, here no call no show situations gain greater context. It shows that employees will enjoy benefits; however, there are also penalties for violating trust and expectations.
4. Communicate the New Policy to Your Employees
Now that you have finally created a new company policy, you need to share it with your team. This will provide them with an opportunity to clear their doubts regarding this policy. At the same time, this will also set forth the clear guidelines of the policy in front of your teammates.
However, you must mention how your company plans to be reasonable with emergencies, but still, the employees need to adhere to the policy. Also, you can have every employee sign to show that they have agreed to the rules. At the same time, you can upload a soft copy of this policy on the company’s website or at an accessible location. This will help the employees to keep that in mind.
What are the Legal Guidelines for No Call No Show Policy?
Before making a policy official you as an employer would indeed want to ensure that your company is not violating any federal, state, or local employment laws. In other words, you need to check if the no-call no-show policy is formed in a lawful way or not. This is very essential for the company to stay out of trouble later on in the future. Let us now have a look at some of the legal guidelines of this policy:
Considerations Due fo Family & Medical Leave
As an employer, you must be aware that under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) an employee can take sudden leave. However, this can be done only if the employee complies with the company’s policies. The only exception to this rule is when there is an unusual medical emergency.
Therefore, before taking any major actions, you have to know the right cause behind the absence of the employee. In addition, you also have to know if the particular employee took any FMLA or ADA leave in the previous 12 months. If the employee has already taken such a leave then, terminating him could be an unlawful act. So you must try and contact him to know all the details instead of relying on other sources.
However, if you are unable to contact the employee, you have to think about reinstatement. In fact, there are many states and localities that have their own leave policies that go beyond FMLA. Therefore, make sure that your no-show no-policy is compliant with the more restrictive laws.
Reinstating an Employee
If there is an employee in your company who has violated the no-call no-show policy three times or more than that, you have to follow the termination process. However, there are some employees who might show valid reasons for being absent or out of contact. It can be in cases like, the employee had an accident or someone died in his family. There can be similar legitimate reasons for the failure to contact you.
Therefore, if you find that one of the employees is absent without any notice, you can reinstate them. However, it is not mandatory to do so. In such cases, let your policy guide you. In fact, much of this decision will depend on the employees’ past performance and attendance record. This is not always an easy decision and will depend on a number of factors. However, whatever decision you take, make sure you do not be partial towards anyone. As an employer, your treatment of everyone should be equal.
This is highly essential for your company to maintain under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. You must be aware that this act prohibits discrimination based on race, s*x, national origin, and religion. In such situations, you might need the help of legal counsel. So make sure, you handle these cases well so that your company faces no legal trouble later on.
Ending Note
You might feel that creating a no-call no-show policy may seem like a difficult task, however, if you follow the above steps, it won’t be so. If you want you can include this policy in your attendance policy for a better understanding of the employees. However, you need to share the details of the policy with your team members. This will ensure that they are well aware of the rules and the penalties if they violate them.
Also read: Understanding Flexi Personal Loans and Why You Should Apply for Them
