Lateness and Absenteeism at the Workplace, Business Proposal Example

Introduction

Of late, we have been having an issue to do with lateness and absenteeism at the work place. This has affected the company leading; to low productivity, lost sales, missed deadlines, and disorganized terms to do with overtime pay. We understand how punctuality is of great importance for the attainment of success in any work. For employees, taking personal responsibility is the key approach to this problem. Trust, the most essential item in humankind lost when one proves the incapability to be punctual or keep time. Being late shows how incompetent one is (Hammer, Leslie, Bauer, Talya, Grandey, & Alicia 2003). Now, if all employees personally organized and time conscious, then we will have attained the solution to our problem. The employer also should find ways of motivation to encourage punctuality.

Disadvantages of lateness and absenteeism

Everyone plays a role for the success of the company. The absence of the specific workers means their roles come into a halt. Lateness of a worker could imply a lost sale due to the missed transaction that is impossible in a specific worker’s absence. Absence and lateness work hand in hand to encourage missed deadlines. Study shows that lateness and absenteeism of employees lead to approximately 70% of late assignment delivery at the work places while the rest 30% brought in by being uncommitted.

It applies that once an employee gets late to work or has been absent for some day[s]; there is a possibility of getting a pile of work waiting. The possibility of handling the pile of work in a professional manner is remarkably little. It is in such cases that reported errors arise. The employee is capable of ignoring some fundamental things due to the anxiety and pressure to finish the pile (Hammer et al., 2003). It is in such cases that one develops stress and depression at the work place. A compilation of such stresses leads one to developing lifestyle diseases, and moodiness. Such a worker is likely to develop conflicts with other workers thus making their working environment uncomfortable. The conflicts may not end in the workplace as other employees likely to carry their burdens home bringing in domestic violence. Some could decide to drink themselves to death to relieve the work burden and stress.

Now, with all the negativities and lack of quality performance of the workers, there is low production of the company. The company becomes incompetent as a whole, and may reach a point that it becomes incapable to pay off its expenses, including the workers. In other words, a small negligible mistake could lead up to the complete failure of an esteemed company.

Solutions to lateness and absenteeism

The first approach in solving a problem is identifying its cause (Kinnunen, Feldt, Mauno, &, Rantanen, 2010). For lateness, then the employees need taking personal responsibility and reorganization to be able to keep time. However, absenteeism is a serious issue that calls for immediate action. The employer ought to find out the reason behind absenteeism. The working environment could be not conducive. Some workers could be contributing to an uncomfortable stay for the absentees at the work place. The employee or rather the management team ought to find out this problem and find ways to solve it. In case the employees have issues to do with their relationships at the work place, the employer ought to facilitate better interpersonal relationships among workmates by providing strategies that lead to interaction of people with similar interests and inclinations. In fact, the employer or the management should organize a meeting with the employees to find out the actual cause of the problem. In case the meeting does not work, maybe due to lack of confidentiality, employed and questionnaires used to fish out required information.

Employers should work out ways that motivate and make workers long to come to the workplace, thus avoid absenteeism. The employer should know the difference between being a .ruler and being a leader. Maybe he /she contribute significantly in issues to do with absenteeism, and the lack of desire for employees to be at the workplace. Employees should shift from their management and leadership style to participate into being servant leaders. They ought to put themselves into the shoes of the employees (Hammer et al., 2003). The lack of motivation to come to work could be due to underpayment. In that case, the employer should make increment of payment wherever possible. The employee could also develop a method or rewarding prompt employees while punishing tardy and reckless ones. This is actually a time-tested method that has worded out the issue of time and attendance. The common incentives and rewards offered by organizations to solve the time and attendance issues include gift vouchers, extra leave, special bonuses, and recognition of employees who meet desired attendance standards (Kinnunen et al., 2010). Treats ought introduction for departments consisting of persons committed to time and work delivery. In fact, best performance department given a free tour, free lunch tickets, or even cash reward upon attaining a given goal. Another approach more especially that solves absenteeism problems are by giving back employees their unused sick leave cash at the end of the business year, or at the time, they resign.

The other option to solving the problem of lateness and absenteeism is by setting strict rules. There should be a procedure to follow when it comes to leaves. Employees made responsible and aware to apply for leaves using the right procedure and to the right authority, and it proceeds only if the leave obtains official consent. There should be provision of a written explanation for any absence or late coming unaccounted for, and the explanation accompanied with valid supporting documents. The management should introduce attendance records that contribute in decision making concerning career advancements and salary increment. The same attendance record to act as a tool disciplinary, in that unscheduled absence and late coming regarded as indiscipline. The records of lateness and absenteeism cases beyond a given point are a valid ground for dismissal.

Conclusion

In conclusion, punctuality and absenteeism is a serious subject. Absenteeism for no reliable reason is just a crime by itself. It shows lack of the value for one’s job and can lead to adverse consequences including dismissal. Employees should avoid absenteeism from the workplace at all cost. Punctuality, on the other hand is crucial. For employees, whether the employer enforces punctuality encouragement policies or not, one needs to reorganize him/herself to be punctual in everything. Punctuality shows majesty, it shows competence, integrity, and respect (Kinnunen et al., 2010). Every other time one is late for a meeting, for example, that shows disrespect to the rest of the attendants. Late delivery of assignments shows incompetence. Punctuality shows the value of one self. Every other time we waste time then, we waste money, “time is money”. It is therefore extremely essential that we be time conscious in everything we do, with or without supervision.

References:

Elicker, Joelle D., Foust, Michelle Singer, O’Malley, Alison L.Levy, & Paul E. (2008). Human Performance, Vol. 219 (4) p427-441, 15p.

Hammer, Leslie B.,Bauer, Talya N., Grandey, & Alicia A. (2003). Journal of Business and Psychology, Vol. 17 (3), p419-436, 18p.

Kinnunen, Ulla, Feldt, Taru, Mauno, Saija, Rantanen, Johanna. (2010). Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, Vol. 83(1), p119-137, 19p.

Shapira-Lishchinsky, Orly, Even-Zohar, Shmuel. (2011). Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 103 (3), p429-451, 23p.