Tuesday

See Your Ad on Our Site

We are accepting advertisers for the new year.  We have some space to display your ad on our site.  Contact Nicholl (nichollmcguire@gmail.com) if you are interested.  We also welcome article and video contributions too!

Friday

Workplace Woes: No Call, No Show

They mess up everything!  Workers who just make up in their minds, "I'm not coming in."  They don't call, text, drop by, prepare fellow workers, or much else, they just don't come in.  I have been impacted over the years while working on projects that had specific timelines.  Each phase had to be completed during a set time and when one isn't around to do his or her part, the people and project suffer!

So what to do about Jane Doe who doesn't like to show up for work?

1.  Document dates and times she didn't show and how she affected progress.
List specific reasons, cause and effect.  For example, "When Jane didn't show, XYZ was affected; therefore, costing the company..."

2.  Contact Jane's Supervisor/ Team Lead and Human Resources Department making them aware of issues.  Keep them all updated on what is happening and what you are doing to deal with the problem.

3.  When Jane finally decides to show up, sit down with her and explain how her absences are affecting the team.  You may want a representative of HR as well as her trainer/team lead present at the meeting.

4.  Provide written correspondence explaining details of the meeting.  Ask Jane what she plans to do to rectify the problem.  Share what disciplinary action will result.  Note how Jane responded.

5.  Remember to follow all company protocol.  Consult with attorney if need be.

The "No Call, No Show" type of worker usually has a lot going on personally and doesn't want to share too much about his or her life problems.  Understandably so, no one wants to make others aware of weaknesses or cause worry, but when our personal challenges lead to poor work behavior, we have to at least communicate some things with our managers and how we tend to deal with them.  In Jane's case, she could have asked for a schedule change, some days off while she tends to her family matters, or ask others to cover for her while she is out while indicating when she plans to return to the workplace.  However, no calls and no shows are unacceptable at most companies and will lead to immediate termination.

Nicholl McGuire, author of What Else Can I Do on the Internet? and owner of Nicholl McGuire Media