8 Tips for Reducing Employee No-Shows

Reducing unexpected absences is a challenge that every employer faces. No-call no-shows are stressful for managers, negatively impact productivity and team morale, and put an extra burden on other employees who need to fill the gaps. 

Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to prevent this from happening. In this article, we’ll go over 8 practical tips for reducing unexpected absences at work. 

By aligning work schedules with employees’ personal commitments and preferences, employees are more likely to show up for their shifts. It also shows that managers respect their staff’s work-life balance. 

This not only creates a sense of appreciation and loyalty among workers but also ensures that they are less likely to miss shifts unexpectedly.

You should have a system in place to easily communicate schedules with your team. Ideally, employees should also receive automatic push notifications on their phones when the schedule is published so they know that it’s available. Then, they can acknowledge and commit to their assigned jobs or shifts. 

This not only eliminates confusion but establishes mutual accountability between managers and employees. When workers actively confirm their shifts, they take ownership of their responsibilities, leading to more reliable attendance.

Schedules are dynamic and subject to change, and it’s important to acknowledge this and implement tools that easily allow for flexible scheduling. 

If an employee rejects a shift, you should have a digital system in place that alerts other workers of the open slot in the schedule, giving them the opportunity to pick up the shift. 

When employees can swap shifts themselves with the click of a button, the entire scheduling process becomes streamlined and automated. 

An employee scheduling app provides workers access to in-app chat and an employee directory so they can message other staff directly to discuss shift swaps. It also puts more responsibility onto employees and makes them more accountable for their shifts.

Effective communication is crucial in all aspects of business, but it’s particularly important when it comes to scheduling. 

When managers are easily accessible, they can quickly address scheduling conflicts and find last-minute shift replacements. And when employees know they can easily reach out, they’re more likely to communicate any issues or conflicts in advance, rather than resorting to unexpected absences.

Keep your schedules fair by evenly distributing open jobs, shifts, and overtime and ensuring everyone gets the same amount of time for breaks. For example, if you give more desirable shifts to the same employee repeatedly, the rest of your staff may become angry and resentful. 

When employees feel like they’re being treated unfairly, they’re more likely not to show up to work. 

By tracking attendance, managers can identify patterns or trends that may indicate a higher risk of future absences. 

This approach allows for proactive interventions, such as discussing the issue with the employee or adjusting schedules to better suit their needs. Accurate records also provide a basis for any disciplinary actions, ensuring that decisions are fair and transparent.

A clear attendance policy ensures that all employees are aware of the rules and consequences of unexpected absences. Make sure employees sign off on the policy during orientation or onboarding and be sure to reinforce it if needed. 

Keep the policy readily available in a centralized app or database so employees can refer to it as needed. When workers understand what is expected of them and the repercussions for failing to meet those expectations, they are more likely to take their scheduling commitments seriously.

Streamline Attendance Management with Connecteam

Connecteam is the best employee scheduling and management app to help you manage and track employee attendance. The app provides all the tools you need to remain connected with your team so you can prevent unexpected absences before they happen.

Here’s how Connecteam can help reduce employee no-shows:

• Manage employee availability: With Connecteam, employees can communicate their availability and work preferences directly in the app. When it comes time to make the schedule, you have a complete overview of who’s available to work and when. And if you accidentally make a scheduling error, the system will immediately flag you so you can correct it.
  
• Scheduling alerts and notifications: Once you hit that Publish button on the schedule, employees receive a notification on their phones letting them know it’s available so they can immediately view their upcoming shifts. They’ll also be alerted with shift reminders on the day of their shift so they don’t forget.
  
• Employees must accept or reject shifts: When the schedule is published, workers must accept or reject their assigned jobs or shifts. This holds them accountable and allows them to take ownership of their schedules. Managers also know exactly who’s working instead of just hoping their employees show up.
  
• Easy shift swapping and shift replacements: Employees can reject a shift with the click of a button, alerting others of the open shift. Then, another worker can pick it up with just a tap. Additionally, two employees can swap shifts if they mutually agree. All you need to do is accept the changes.
  
• Attendance tracking and PTO management: Connecteam tracks employee attendance for you, including time off and breaks. The app then records everyone’s hours onto employee timesheets which you can easily export to payroll.
  
• Streamlined communication features: In-app chat allows your entire team to remain connected. Employees can message each other and managers can message workers with questions and reminders. The company newsfeed also helps to create a more cohesive team by allowing everyone to share updates, announcements, photos, GIFs, and emojis.
  
• In-app Knowledge Base: The Knowledge Base is where you can store documents, training materials, and company policies, like your attendance policy. Keep everything easily available in one place so employees can access these important materials whenever they need them.

The Bottom Line

Reducing unexpected absences is not just about enforcing strict policies; it’s about creating a work environment that values communication, fairness, and respect. 

By using clear communication, flexible scheduling, and employee scheduling apps like Connecteam, employers can drastically reduce or eliminate the rates of no-call no-shows.