There may be a number of causes for an employee's poor attendance record. Each case should always be treated individually and treated on its merits. Long-term absence due to ill health or accidents should be managed sensitively and with understanding. A harsh approach to this type of absence will send a very negative message to remaining members of the team and may damage the reputation of the pharmacy within the community it serves.

Cases of unfair treatment of employees on long-term sickness absence are regularly heard by employment tribunals. Before managing this type of issue ensure that you take suitable advice from a human resources professional. Employees who have a poor attendance record or are persistently late could be managed following established disciplinary processes.

As with all disciplinary processes, the initial stages should be an investigative discussion with the employee. Frequent minor illness may be a symptom of an undiagnosed condition. Home life may cause difficulties that lead to persistent lateness, which can be resolved by a simple change of working hours.

A normal disciplinary process would then be to describe the standard expected, agree a review period and then review a change in behaviour. If their attendance record remains poor without adequate explanation, further disciplinary action might be appropriate. An employee who has previously had a good attendance record or punctuality that has started to deteriorate might have the problem discussed informally or within an appraisal. Problems that have lead to this deterioration can be identified and resolved.

Absenteeism and lateness are to be expected in any business and an acceptable level must be tolerated. When it becomes excessive it becomes a drain of the resources of a business and impacts on team morale. Absenteeism and lateness can be managed effectively with good absence policies and record keeping, sound employment advice and good communication with employees.