Absences are unfair to others

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Dear Joan:
I have a personnel problem with Suzie which I thought you might be able to help me with.

With only three months into the new year, Suzie had already used up her six paid sick days and has taken an additional eight sick days without pay. Most of these 14 days have been needed so she can take care of her daughter, who suffers from acute asthma. Suzie always has doctor’s excuses for her absences.

I had these same problems with Suzie last year and we sat down together twice to discuss the situation with her daughter. I explained the importance of her being at work on a more consistent basis and that she would have to make other arrangements to take care of her daughter.

Suzie is a very good and hard worker and I am sympathetic about her daughter's health problems. I am just not sure what to do-fire her, give her a third chance, or what?

Answer:
When you are a manager, you must always have four perspectives: the individual's, the co-workers', yours, and the company's. Managers, who don't balance all four, run into trouble.

In your case, it is very tempting to give more weight to the individual's perspective. She is a good worker, her daughter's situation certainly causes you to sympathize and she takes the days without pay.

But when you factor in the other perspectives, your judgment will tell you that the imbalance will start to cause trouble. For example, is this fair to her co-workers if they are expected to be on the job and end up doing her share? If all the employees in your group took call-in days without pay, how could you manage your operation and plan ahead to get the work out? If someone else started to do this in your unit couldn't they insist you allow them to do what she is doing? Unfortunately, if you try to be the "good guy" for this employee you could wind up being the bad guy for everyone else and the company.

My suggestion is to have a meeting with Suzie and spell out the imbalance she is causing. Explain how it impacts others and the work. Give her examples of the bad spot this will put you in if others complain or want to do the same thing.

It's important for you to empathize with her situation and understand how difficult this must be for her, however, stay focused on your need to have her at work every day.

Review the meetings you have had before and tell her you haven't seen her follow through on finding other arrangements for her daughter. Explore solution ideas such a sick child day care centers, relatives who could step in or home care services. Perhaps your health benefits will even pay for some of these things. Keep in mind that any solutions you implement should be fair and available to all.

You must make it clear to her that she MUST improve or she could lose her job. This will be difficult to say but she must receive fair warning. You could say it like this, "Suzie, I hate to have to tell you this because you are such a good worker and I'd hate to lose you but I feel it is only fair to tell you that failure to improve your attendance could result in termination. As much as I sympathize with your problem, I must have you here to do your job." She should also be told in advance if her merit salary will be reduced for the extra time she was off the job.

This is conversation is likely to shock her. She may not have realized how serious her attendance problem has become and may have been rationalizing it away.

Give her a period of time (say, two weeks) to find alternative care and meet again at the end of that two weeks to hear about her plans. You should set a reasonable period of time during which you will tolerate no absences (say six months). Explain that this six months is an opportunity to show how committed she is to solving this problem. Point out that an absence during this time could cause her termination. (Don't say "will cause," since you don't want to be backed into a corner if some extraordinary circumstances occur.)

These are the kinds of human problems that cause managers ulcers and sleepless nights. In the end, though, the responsibility for solving this dilemma rests with your employee. By providing a fair environment for everyone, you have kept the balance and the choice will be hers.

Confronting poor performance, or difficult behaviors, is difficult for many managers.  Joan Lloyd’s How to Coach & Give Feedback learning system is a step-by-step approach to help you help your employees make changes in their performance that will enable them to succeed on the job.  Actually reduces defensiveness and encourages open communication.  Now available in CD!