7 Things You Can Do To Maximize Staff Attendance

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Staff attendance is important for every business, but for the restaurant industry, it is critical. When staff misses time, it puts pressure on the rest of the team. It compromises quality and customer service and puts pressure on the rest of the staff to make up the difference.

Still you must be reasonable. No one wants anyone who is sick to be preparing, serving or anywhere near their food. That being said, most staff absences are not due to illness. So lets have a look at seven things that can improve employee attendance.

1. Have a Policy

This may seem like common sense, because it is, but many Restaurants are small businesses, which are operated in a casual manner. Whether it is written by an Attorney and printed in an employee manual or if it is written on a napkin pinned to the wall, a clear policy is necessary. A good attendance policy will help to maximize your Staff’s attendance.

2. Make Staff Aware of Consequences

Treat Staff fairly but be sure they are all aware of the consequences of being absent. In other words, don’t just have a policy, communicate it to the Staff. Employees should all know what the policy is for being absent. Are they expected to find another Staff Member to fill their shift? How much notice is require? How many days can they miss? The Staff must clearly understand what is expected of them when they miss time.

3. Track Leave

Believe it or not tracking leave is where many restaurants fall short. Managers shouldn’t guess or trust their memory as to the attendance record of Employees. Staff expect to be treated fairly, so it is important to keep records of attendance, both for disciplinary reasons as well as for good record keeping purposes.

4. Communicate

You can’t communicate too much. The Manager should speak with the Employee immediately when they miss time to access the situation as well as to express concern. If the staff member misses extended time, the Manager should stay in contact. This will serve to further build the trust and relationship between the Employee and Manager as well as help the Manager to understand the nature of the Staff Members absence.

5. Follow Up With Staff When They Return From Leave

In addition to the constant communication, when a staff member misses extended time. it is very helpful to have a return to work meeting between the Manager and the Staff Member. This will give the Manager the opportunity to update the Employee with any news, as well as explain who and how their shifts have been covered and the effect it has had on the restaurant.

6. Train Supervisors

In order to execute the strategies suggested in this article for maximizing Staff attendance, it is important Supervisors are all extremely familiar with the policies and expectations regarding attendance. Managers and Supervisor fair and consistent implementation of the attendance policy is one of most important factors which can have either a positive or negative affect on attendance.

7. Boost Morale

Absences hurt morale and poor morale increases absences. It’s a vicious circle, but improving morale can help to maximize attendance. Increase morale by showing your employees more appreciation. Recognize their achievements, especially accomplishments for attendance. Show them you trust them by giving them more responsibility.

Listening to your employees will also improve morale. When Employees feel like they have a voice, they take more pride in their work and build a better bond with Management. A Staff that feels good at work will feel better at home and will be less likely to get sick as well as feel better about going to work.