Get a handle on call-outs with a policy that's simple, fair & effective.
A common topic we see on our message boards is attendance policies. A lot of people are always looking for advice on this subject. I am going to share mine in a moment, but there are two things you need to take into account with your policy.
- You have to consistently implement this. This means no exceptions unless you are willing to make that exception permanent and in writing as an adjustment to the policy. The second you waver on this, your policy is useless.
- Your policy needs to match your company's core values and culture. This is mistake we see often. Business owners will borrow things that work for others without doing the gut check of “Does this match the culture of my company?”
The policy I am sharing below is VERY effective for me. We always enforce it and it matches our culture, which places high value on individual achievement and independence.
We allow six unplanned absences in six months. An unplanned absence means you do not have a signed, approved day off request on file for that day. That is all it means. We make no judgement calls on whether it was a good reason to be off or not. We do not require a doctor's note. If you request a day off and we do not approve it, and you tell us you are going to take it off anyway, then it counts as one of your six unplanned absences. It is not a firing offense, as long as you have fewer than six of them. This really surprises a lot of people. They see it as me allowing insubordination. We do not see it that way at all.
We highly prize individuals and trust them to act like adults. When they submit a form requesting a day off, we do not even ask why they will be off. The only test is the needs of the business. If I can grant the day off and not affect service to our clients, we will approve it. If we cannot, we will not approve it. If the cleaner REALLY needs that day off such due to a major life event, they can take it, but we will count it as one of their six unplanned days off. If they call off sick on a day that they were not approved to be off, I won't make them prove they were sick. I do not want to be in the position of judging what is important enough to miss work or not. The only thing I judge is, “Will this have a negative effect on the business?” If it will, it counts as one of your six days.
This program would never work for some companies, but two of our core values are individual initiative and trust. With those values, I need to trust my people to make decisions of whether they need to be at home or at work on days when we need them at work. I accept that they will never be 100% available to me, thus 6 days every 6 months. Everyone is treated as an adult. I do not spend a lot of time listening to employees share details of their personal lives. We believe it is called a personal life for a reason.
So, do all your policies match your core values and culture? Do you know your core values?
Begin as you mean to continue. The first day a new employee spends with you sets the tone for the entire working relationship. And while you (a business owner) are concerned about getting that new person into place to bring in revenue, it's a mistake to skip or ignore an introduction to your company culture through a thorough orientation - and we're not talking about just filling out paperwork.
FAQs
Q: How can cleaning companies reduce employee turnover? A: Retention improves when companies hire for fit, set clear expectations, train consistently, pay accurately, create predictable schedules, recognize good work, and address performance problems quickly. Turnover should be measured like any other business KPI.
Q: What should be included in cleaner training? A: Training should include cleaning procedures, safety, chemical use, customer communication, quality standards, time expectations, equipment care, and what to do when problems occur in a home or facility.
Q: Why do attendance policies matter in cleaning businesses? A: Attendance affects route reliability, customer trust, team morale, and profitability. A fair policy should define expectations, call-out procedures, consequences, and manager responsibilities while allowing consistent enforcement.
